Evening star., 1921-06-26

tant when farmers in every nook and
corner of the country will be able to
keep themselves Informed as to the
day by day conditions of the ma arkets.
Not only is the American farmer
concerned with the markets of this
country. for beyond our shores are
other markets. 1t is of interest to
him to know the amount of &. ain or
wool that Argentina is producing. just
how many hundreds of thousands of
dozens OF eggs will be transported
from China during the present year.
He is interested in knowing just how
much beef, cotton or butter that
Europe consumed last year and what
the requirements will be for 1921. It
is of interest to him to know how
many apples Great Britain will need.
E @. Montgomery of the foreign mar.
ketS division is placing this informant ton
in the hands of the tilIer Of our soil. and
he states it is essential that the infor-
nation be accurate and up-to-date. He
is ever preparing a concrete. compre-
hensive and useful digest for the farm
ers throughout the length and breath OF
the land. He is giving them information
material not only to thsir welfare, but
also to the nations wealth.
Mr.. Montgomery in the earlier days
of his life lived on a farm in Nebraska,
and he learned at first hand the prob
lens that confronted the farmer. Having
gained a practical knowledge Of hus-
banory, he went TO the agriculture col
lege at Lincoln and began the study OF
the theoretical science of farming. He
afterward became professor in that in
stitution of learning. From there he
was called to Cornell University. and
then gave up promising career TO enter
the bureau Of markets.
Down in the remote Texas region.
far distant from schools or the lux
nf hn1na n
Leon NJ. Estabrook. The early years
of his life were spent in a daily night
to secure a home for his family and
opportunities for advancement. After
finishing the chores at the end OF a
hard days work. he retired to his
that it developed a power to overcome
difficulties that has made him one Of
the most valuable men in the Depart
ment Of Agriculture. Through cruel.
bitter experiences of early youth. the
development of constructive imagina-
ton and brilliant business acumen.
are. in part, the attributes that have
enabled him to put life and energy
into cold dry figures. to transpose
those heretofore uninteresting facts
into reading matter that means meat
and drink to hundreds and Thousands
of farmers and business men. Great
masses of statistics filter into the de-
partment: these must be arranged. in
dexed. filed and put away. SO that
when the time comes he may draw
upon each little cubby- hole and bring
forth the portion that will fit into his
puzzle problem. Through his work
the bureau Of crop estimates has be-
come the dispenser of figures that are
awaited with breathless interest by
many different agencies. for they speal
future events. prosperity or depres-
sion, in an $50, ,000. 100000 industry.
There are other shining examples
Of highly trained minds possessed by
the indefatible workers of the De-
partment of Agriculture that might
be cited. There are other unsung he
roes whose names have not been men
toned. others who like their fellows
are laboring day and night without
thought of fame or monetary recon-
pense in order that they might help
the country. and when these peace
time patriots have been called to
their reward no more fitting epitaph
could be penned than They served
we'll: they served without thought OK
self"
Copyright. 1871. by Tne Washington Star,