Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-27
Frederic Haskin's Letter
A NEW TYPE OF SECRETARY

consciousness Of the American
farmer. It was then that that
group Of scientific men which it
had gathered began to hammer
home the lessons in farming that
may be learned from an under
standing of the laws of nature that
lie back Of the unfolding of crops.
1t was then that there began to
grow an appreciation of the posi-
bflities that lay in studying the re-
suits in given crops attained by all
men everywhere and making the
best results available at the farm.
1t was a hard fight those first
few years against the prejudice
which the experienced farmer felt
toward the dude who came out
from the city to teach him how to
farm. It took a long time for the
book farmers, sprinkled here and
there throughout the nation, to
demonstrate their results in profits
and thus win following. But to-
day the value of scientific farming
is undisputed. 1t no longer re-
quires the seductiveness Of the
missionary. All it needs is that
the people be aroused to an ener-
getic practice of what has already
been demonstrated.
The department Of agriculture
needs to be sold" to the American
farmer. That farmer everywhere
needs to be aroused to the vital ad-
vantages of making use of what it
has to offer. The lessons which it
has learned in three decades OF
scientific and practical study need
to be carried to every farmstead.
This is the view of the new sec
rotary of agriculture. He believes
that his job is to sell" the depart
ment to the people. He holds that
in these times, with the war over
and the cupboards of the world
empty, the primary national and
world need is production. Every
mine, mill and factory in the ma
ton should be working at tor
speed that the markets Of the ma
ton and Of the world may be sup
piled. There is stupendous oppor.
tunity of profit in supplying them
but there is also stupendous pos
sibility of serving a great and help
full purpose in the world.
And in this scheme Of produc.
ton agriculture is fundamental
The food Of the world comes from
the farms and supplying it is the
first need. Next to food the de
mand is for raw materials that ma.
go into the industries and suppl!
them with the fundamentals tina
make it possible for them to oper
ate. These raw materials ar
largely products Of the farm. Cot
ton for the mills is the best ex
ample. So does the farm becom,
the cornerstone Of that structure o
production upon which the welfar'
and prosperity Of the world de
ponds.
This is the viewpoint Of Score
tary Meredith. His chief duty, a
he sees it, is to speed up farm
production. This can be done b.
getting the lessons Of his depart
ment into actual use. ~
| The department Of agricultur
knows the peculiar breed Of pc
tato that will yield best returns il
each and every county in the Unit
ed States. 1t knows how to cult
waite that potato, how to fertilize
in each peculiar soil. But this les
son is not known to 10 per cent o
the people who raise potatoes
Ninety per cent Of them are plant
ing the wrong varieties and cult
waiting them in the wrong way. l
the knowledge in the possession o
the department were applied to al
these farms, potato crops and prof
fits would be doubled next year
The same is true of corn. Select
ed seed. properly planted. properl,
fertilized, properly cultivated. o.
land properly rotated, woul,
double the corn yield, great as it i
already. There is no branch o
farming where the lessons tina
may be learned are not equally i'm
portant and capable of equally at
tractive advantages.
! Secretary Meredith is a traine'
advertising man, a trained publ
cist. He wants to make the les
sons learned in the past 80 years
under the direction of farmers an
scientists, show in the greatest pos
sible return when the wagon
drive up to the barn in the aVtumr
He wants cooperation on the par
of the public and the congress i
meeting the demands of the tim
for production.