The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1916-03-21
GOOD AUDIENCE
HEARS LECTURES
Prof. Bryant and Miss Sweeney, OF
University, Talk on Farm Demon
strators and Home Economics.

Inc TWO Which, WCIC given
Friday afternoon at the court house
by Miss Mary E. Sweeney, head OF
the Home Economics Department OF
State University, and Prof. L. H.
Bryant of the College of Agriculture
of the same institution were both
very instructive and interesting, and
were heard by good sized audience
DR.. W. B. O'Bannon presided over
the meeting and introduced Miss
Sweeney in that clever and pleasing
manner which he possesses. He made
it clear that she is a specialist IN
Home Economics Work which fact
no one doubted at the conclusion of
her address. At the close of his lee
ture. the chairman invited all ladies
who were interested in Miss Swee-
news line of work to adjourn with
her to the county court room; mere,
with a good audience, she continued
to discuss the home problems and to
tell how they should be met.
Mr.. w. P. Owens, President of the
Alfalfa Growers Association of Ken
lucky. introduced Prof. Bryant and
i'm doing so he emphasized the great
work that is being done by the Farm
Demonstrators in creating an interest
among farmers which causes them
to meet in Farmers Institutes and
discuss the various problems with
which they are confronted from day
to day.
The circuit court room was filled
to its capacity, and many of the far
mers present expressed desire to Sc
cure a County Agent who could as
Sist in the solution of farm problems
and in increasing the yield of the
farm products in this county. Prof.
BRYANT said: eff the Stanford
Graded School would have the Dem
onstrator teach Agriculture in the
school during three of the winter
months and give him salary of $500
and if the county would raise S40O,
the Extension Department will give
$780,"
eprof. Bryant said in part:
An investigation of the present
status of farming in Kentucky quick
ly con ,inces one that mlsmanage-
ment has occurred somewhere. 1T a
Young man iSfferits a fortune and
after a term of years we find that
his principal has materially decreas-
ed, we say that he has made error
somewhere We expected him at
least to maintain the principal and
we reasonably hoped that he would
add to his estate.
A parallel case is to be seen even
in our Bluegrass land. 1t seems
hard to say that farming has been
a failure. To be sure the farmer
has fed the country but at the same
time the young man referred to
above may have supported his faml-
ly but in the end we must critlclse
both him and the farmer because
they have each allowed their prlncl-
pal to depreciate. :,
Several reasons may be assigned
for the depletion of so many of our
farms and farmers, but probably the
most important two reasons have
been a lack of knowledge of the cor
rect principles of farm management
and a full realization of the value of
a live stock system of farming. 1t is
hard to differentiate between these
two but inasmuch as the proper
handling of live stock is matter of
farm management, we Will discuss
for a few minutes some matters per-
tanning to live stock.
An adequate supply of manure is
the most efficient and generally ap-
plicable method known, for the main
tenance of soil fertility. Animals
leave behind, about three-fourths OF
the fertilizing constituents contained
in the crops they eat. Seeing that
selling live stock or their products,
reduces the drain upon the fertility
of the soil it is clear that to main
tain the productive power OF our
soils, we are almost driven to stock
farming. Observance and expert
ence bear out this statement.
All farmers know the congestion
that occurs in farm work during the
spring and summer months. Men and
animals are required to labor thru
long hours, almost to the limit of en-
durance. During the winter months
much time is spent loafing or merely
in pottering about. We should Gull
tivate fewer acres, relatively, leav-
ing to pasture certain areas, former
ly cultivated. This will give pasture
to cattle, swine or sheep during |
spring or summer, and thus lessen |
the volume of necessary labor, while |
in winter we will find profitable en- |
ployment, caring for our stock.
The matter of labor is a serious |
problem in many sections. We will |
perhaps never have a complete solu- |
ton of the labor problem but there |
is perhaps no greater means of relief |
in sight than the adoption of live |
stock system. By devoting a larger |
proportion of our land, in summer, /
to grazing, we could get along with |
less manual labor during the season,
in fact it could be almost reduced to |
the force necessary to care for stock |
and discharge other necessary duties |
in winter. Again, we can reasonably |
expect to get a more reliable class of |
labor if we are in position to offer |
employment the year round at fixed |
wage. The laborer is forced to de- |
mand high wages in the summer be-
cause he will be dispensed with when |
winter comes and the summer labor i
presents long hard hours. Let us
blame ourselves rather than the la
borer for the present situation con-
corning help.
By a live stock system we are en-
abled to play the parts of both the
producer of raw materials and that |
of a manufacturer and to reap the |
profits of both. The producer of cot
ron uorkS 1onU and hard thrOuph /