The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-01-02
THE REVIEWS SPECIAL
FARM NEWS DEPARTMENT
John H. D. Gray
EDITOR
Live News About Crawford County Farms
g.: and Farmers
John H. D. Graz
WHY EXPECT 70 Be A FARMER.


!, (By Gorda J. Hill, Strawberry Point.
After spending the first seventeen
years of my life on the farm TAXI
great pleasure in writing this little
essay, setting forth to the best of m!
ability the reasons why l expect to re
main a farmer.
Nowhere in the progress of indus
try has there been greater advance
ment than in agriculture. 1t is nc
longer looked upon by society as an
occupation requiring nothing but ig
norance and slavery; it is now re
spected as an industry which com
mands the attention Of trained minds
with expert knowledge.
The old objection that farmer has
no conveniences whereby he may do
his work is no longer sound. Owing
to the great increase III our population
and the great expansion Of industry 1t
has become necessary to increase the
production Of the food supply. To
bring this about is a problem which
can be solved by scientists and eX-
pert inventors who have turned their
abilities toward the improvement of
agriculture. Agricultural schools have
been established so that scientists can
be developed in order to apply scien-
tific methods in the; interest of farm
ing. New inventions of up to date
labor saving machinery have been pro-
duced, by the use of which the farmer
can produce much more with less
work. His heavier work is becoming
lighter year by year and will no doubt
soon be a thing Of the past.
Together with these new additions
has come for his convenience the tele-
phone, the rural free delivery and the
automobile The farmer need no
longer live in his own little sphere, he
now comes in contact with the rest OF
the world and discovers what other
people are thinking and doing. This
opens up to him broader and richer
field of knowledge and puts him on a
higher plane in society. ..
Farming is not q narrow life with
its single problem as many people be-
.ieye It is a broad life, presenting
its many problems. There are many
departments on one farm, among
which are crop raising, stock raising,
stock dairying, hog raising, fruit grow
ing and many other departments
which might be mentioned. The
farmer is a manager standing at the
head of a great departmental organi.
zation, responsible for the success or
failure of each and every department
Il he is to make farming paying in
dustry he must be trained for his
work the same as the manager of any
other industry. He must also take an
active part in politics for the interests
If agricultural legislation. Taking all
go 80 &jfte.ent aspects, into considera-
lon fssa.i y mn, = st, be considered a
! sFinnancialiy, tanning appeals to me,
n the first place a farmer can obtain
most Of his living directly from the
arm. Besides his own living he must
supply the whole urban world with his
products. Their progress or failure
depends upon the production OF the
farmer. There is always a great de-
mand for his produce and for this rea-
son the market is always relatively
high What the farmer has to sell
needs no advertisement, all he needs
to do is to put his article on the mar
ket. The merchant must create a
want in the minds of the public in Or
Ter to make his sale, while in the case
Of the farmer the want is already
created and all he needs to do is sup
ply that want. -., =. .a-. 80,
These facts lead to the great indie.
pendence of the farmer, a conclusion
admitted by nearly all classes Of SO.
ciety. A farmer is outside the field of
as far as his industry is
Failure in farming does
not come because the farmer could
not overcome the keen competition of
us neighbor or because he was unable
TO mix or cater to his patrons. A
farmer does not need to worry about |
osing his position because he failed
10 grant favor to those who hold
he reins on his job. 1t seems neces-
sary to play the political game to in
sure success in many other lines of
,ndeavor. All the professions are be-
coming crowded to overlooking, which
Increases greatly the chances of fail
ire. "There is always room at the
.op,', they say, but the chance of
'eaching the top is very uncertain
hing. In the face of these circum-
stances l have no desire to leave the
arm. ....., ....
& Another point which holds me on
rood health Life amounts to little if
Y rs AOI dtCOLl pdUlCu NV 6OOu AACclACA. |
Bad health takes all the enjoyment
md happiness out OF life and leaves
lothing but discomfort and sorrow.
With a little knowledge of hygiene, ;
,ood health is assured on the fart.
t is the one place on the earth where
he air is pure, where the water is
resh and where the sun shines with
ut any artificial barrier. Il
Il feel that farming will be made bet i
er by the new regime of education
which is no doubt coming. When we
ave system of education for the L
ural boy and girl which will give ]
hem as efficient education as the t
rban boy and girl they will be salts t
ed to remain on the farm. The edu- {
alton should create an agricultural I
which, will educate the /
oy and girl to appreciate their sur, t
At present the ambitious t
Oy and girl drive to the graded {
shool in the town, after which de- /
re to return to the farm is lessened I
he education which is coming to the 1t
lrai districts will develop the agri- t
lltural phase of their education, i
hich will tend to make homoge- +
sa11c fa ryniner cornmllnitN in which all