Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-04-27
American Agriculture Owes Debt TO Jefferson
For Pioneer Work in Conserving Soil, Restoring
It's Fertility and Other Modern Farm Methods
BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON

Released by Western Newspaper Union.
A LANKY horseman rode
L \ steadily through the Virgin
ia hills under a bleak March sky,
his lean face frightening as he
recognized familiar landmarks.
He was muscular and vigorous
despite his 66 years, with tanned
skin, clear hazel eyes, a kindly
expression and abundant gray
hair that still showed traces of
its original brick-red.
The rider urged his sorrel
faster up the slopes of a tree
crowned hill that lowered over
the rolling countryside. Squirting
to the top, he threw the reins to
a colored groom, dismounted
lightly and greeted a family
group waiting for him near a
stately house.
Thomas Jefferson had come
home to Monticello. The year
was 1909. But a few days before
he had bid farewell to the White
House, wished his friend James
Madison Godspeed in the Presi-
dency and rode out of Washing
ton as a private citizen.
Since his birth, April 10, 1743, JEFF
ferson had travelled an eventful
route. He had experienced some de-
feats and many triumphs. Virtually
every high office within the gift of
his fellow citizens had been his. He
had been state legislator and con-
gresham; governor and minister;
secretary of state, vice president
and President for two terms. He
had doubled the territory of the
United States and built a powerful
political party. His ideals of lib
erty were engraved in the law Of the
land.
And now in the fullness of his
honors he was to spend the next II
years In serene retirement as the
Sage of Monticello" busy amidst
his farms.
A Famous Epitaph.
Visitors to Monticello always
pause to study the epitaph chiseled
on the gray granite shaft over JEFF
ferson's grave. Written by the great
statesman himself before his death
on July 4, 1926, it reads: Here
was buried Thomas Jefferson, Au-
thor of the Declaration of Independ-
ence; of the Statute of Virginia for
Religious Freedom; and Father of
the University of Virginia."
Most Americans are familiar with
these achievements of the many
sided Jefferson. Few citizens, per-
haps, are aware of another of his
contributions-his work for the de-
velopment of modern, scientific
farming.
So, on the birthday of this great
farmer-statesman, it is appropri-
ate to tell the story of his encourage
ment of agriculture. For farming
was one of the consuming interests
of Jefferson's life. His roots were
bedded in the earth. In many ways
he was generations ahead of his
time. He clearly saw the future
possibilities of American agriculture
and strove to make them reality.
Jefferson inherited an estate of
1900 acres. He added constantly to
that farm and by the time he mar
ried 21-year-old Martha Wayles
Shelton on New Years Day, 1772,
his holdings exceeded 10000 acres.
A year later, the death of his father
in-law brought the family an add-
tional 10000 acres situated in west
ern Virginia.
AS a practical farmer, jefferson
was constantly on the alert for new
ideas. He made Monticello into
progressive experimental farm
where new machinery, new meth
DDS, improved stock breeding, new
crops and tests in restoring soil fer
tility were tried out. Over a period
Of years he grew as many as 80
different vegetables on his farm.
And he attempted to adapt and do
mesticate acres of plants, shrubs
and trees from distant countries.
His Land Impoverished.
The Sage of Monticello" had
much to contend with. During his
absence on public business, over
seers who farmed the land ravaged
it, he said, "to degree of degra-
dation far beyond what I had ex-
pected." No attempts at diversified
ton had been made. Unlike the
farmer of today who can get advice
from his county agents, agricultural
college agronomists or experiment
stations on whether his soil is de-
ficient in nitrogen, phosphorus and
potash and then obtain the correct
analysis of mixed fertilizer, Jeffer-
son had to depend on talks with his
neighbors and his reading of farm
papers and books published in Eng
land.
So he correspondent frequently
with George Washington, James
Madison, John Adams, the Marquis
Playing His Violin
Posterity has had SO many things