The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1916-04-27

10 we stop to contrast the condition
,ho old time farmer, who in the i'm
marital words Of Gray, single handed
aI alour. the little tyrant of his
aids withstood," with the condition
MI prc,cnt day successor, we can
mot hut be impressed with the many
h;gblv efficient forces which are max
80 Cor the dpift of the work in
,ybich we are individually and collect
iyelv interested. Certainly, no longer
.inplc handed is 1t necessary to work
80, N a successful conclusion the in
,,,cate problems Of crop productl-n.
I, is of course true mat in many di-
,eetions our difficultc, have incrcaS.
% both hccIlsc # the great variety
and because " g.. larger quantities
,f crops pr.1Grro. " { the advantages
q, our .li,.u IN large measure
offset these increases. When help Is
desired. there are many sources from
which it may be secured.
Let lis now inquire what agencies,
operating in our state, may be brought
N the assistance of the horticulturist,
and determine whether we are taking
full advantage of them.
First anon. them is our experiment
station. It took the experiment sta
ton of our state quite number of
years TO measure mp to the full sense
Of its opportunities ana responsible
ties Into the causes for this condition
we need not enter, but maybe the life
OF an Institution i much the same as
the life of an individual, i'm that there
must he years of preparation, and
years of development and much mis-
directed or waste effort before the
age of productive activity is reached.
Happily for our state and for those of
us who are interested in its horticul-
tmal industries. the experiment sta
1,ioi has developed wonderful
breadth Of view :. it is attacking our
problems with precision; it is well di-
rected, well manned and well equip
ped, and the best part Of it is that
,yer the whole state there has spread
feeling Of confidence in the work
which this institution is carrying on.
More and more people are turning to
4 for the assistance they must have,
and their needs are being met,
Now. the State Experiment station
aud the Agricultural Department of
eur University are engaged in other
lines of activity which are dl1crcn;
nm their direct lines Of investigation
, aud experimentation. The direction
Of forces which are working rcvu-
luton in our agriculture, rests with
hem. 1t does not need Il prophet 10
foretell the uplift which is surely
coming through the work of the cOun-
~ agents, This w-rk Is now, very
new, and some time must pass before
We can have accurate knowledge of
the results, yut a trained and active
agent in every county in Florida Will
bring about wonderful change III
our rural conditions within the next
decade. These men are doing more IN
one year to put 'csted knowledge into
operation than an the tons OF cduca-
nonal literature lEvc done in the past
twenty-five. There has been nothing
wrong IN thc main with the quality
OF this literature, but it is everlasting
y true that we must earn how to do
By doirg. We have to be led to make
an attempt by the demonstrated sue
cess Of others.
In connection with this rural uplift
work, one q the important contribut-
Ing forces has been the Farmers In
stltute work. This organization has
carried the gospel of good farming and
better living with signal success, and
1t has opened te way for larger
usefulness IN the part of the Expert
meh Station.
The work to which reference has
Just been ma lie is directing the older
isriner, the man mve or less fixed
"A his way Of doing 'hings, the rut
follower among us. And while we
have emphasized the vflue Of this eff
tort this is not the he's part OF this
rural activity. The NEST important
part Is the reaching Of hos and girls
! In the rural communities trough the
various clubs. This club w0k. wheth-
~ 1t has u 10 with growing corn or
raising pigs or growing and canning
vegetables r fruits, is having far
reaching cfft>t in every section where
II mas been rightly organized. Y is
arousing thai interest on the par of
the boys and girls-in the common, "
cry day things of the farm boy, whie
every agricultural educator has hope
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