The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-01-28
FARMING PROFITS INCREASED
BY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES

One has only to look to Washington
these days to realize that the farmer
looms large upon the horizon as new
and potent force in political as well
as in economical life-and all because
he has gathered himself in organiza-
tions and is pulling together with a
class consciousness never before so
evident.
So it is that Congress gives ear to
this united voice of the dweller on the
countryside and seeks to do his bid
ding in the ready passage of meas
ures designed to give him relief from
his present distress, some of which
are questionable in their wisdom, even
as 70 giving any permanent benefit
to the farmer in the long run.
Yet many years ago when the far
mer was but small force in politics,
because of his lack of cohesion and OF
teamwork, there was an organization
which recognized the fundamental
value of agriculture to the nation and
sought to elevate it from the rule-cf-
thumb procedure. The factor was the
great State university of the South
and West working through its agri-
cultural college-for the State Uni
versity is much more than an institu-
ton of learning or a teacher of expon-
ent culture.
Lares and Penates-common Sense
and Idealism
Since it is likewise a constructive
force in the life of the people OF the
State who gave it birth and who main
tain it's existence, naturally it is i'm
bued and colored by the atmosphere
of its environment and finds it's great
est expression in those Household
Gods-Common Sense and Idealism-
the Lares and Penates-of the Middle
West
Among the men of the agricultural
college of the State universities was
early perception of the dullness, the
loneliness, the dreariness and the
ceaseless drudgery of life upon the
farmland equally the realization that
the remedy of these things lay in max
ing life upon the farm both attractive
and profitable.
How this was done and how country
life is a far different matter from a
score of years ago was brought vivid
ly to me in recent trip to Cham
paigne, the seat of the great State
University of Illinois.
The methods were very simple and
homely, carried out with patience and
industry, but each one aiding year by
year intellectually to the wealth and
productive wealth o fthe State.
On the university there was live
stock of all kinds and more than 1000
acres of land with which to conduct
experiments.
A series of experiments on soil treat
ments extending over number of
years gave definite results as to
greatly increased yields anywhere
from 10 to 33 1-3 per cent and even
more-with proper methods of Guilt
walton, such a rotation of crops and
fertilization.
The farmers in those days, even
more than now, were not strong on
book learning" and in the matter of
raising crops "had to be shown" But
the agricultural college had the right
information, and by it's analysis of the
soil on each farm could tell each
farmer what to do in order to get best
results.
Some soils, like some persons, have
sour dispositions, so when the farmers
who owned these lands asked for
bread, the agricultural college literal
ly gave them a stone and told them
to put limestone and ground phosphate
on their fields, thereby increasing the
yield from eleven and one-half to
thirty-five and one-half bushels of
per acre.
Cow Declared Better Investment Than
Gold Mine
Not far from these experimental
fields where these tests have been
made for half century there is the
dairy barn with tractors, silos and
blooded cattle-for blood will tell IN
cattle even if it slips up sometimes In
humans. Just how it tells you gather
from the annals of those high-bred
isis Cows" some of whom have given
$4,000 pounds of milk in one year as
compared with 1000 pounds of the
ordinary cow. This tells also why the
dairy industry is such constantly
growing source of revenue to the farm
ers of Illinois.
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