THE FARMER'S FORUM
The Farmer's Forum Lord Bryce's Menage to Farm Boys ONE of the greatest men who has ever represented the English people in America is James Bryce, former Ambassador, and now Lord Bryce. Here is...
...Why is the average yield of corn in Wisconsin from 36 to 40 bushels per acre, while that of the entire United States runs about 26...
...Any one who wishes to get valuable pointers on canning will find them in a bulletin of the North Dakota Station on Preservation of Food in the Home...
...Neither does the farmer have to write off large sums for depreciation on his farm like the manufacturer on his factory or plant...
...In fact most of us who are already engrossed with the problems of life did not consciously prepare in the most advantageous way for the particular niche we may now be filling...
...Pood products are on the rise in value and will continue to increase so long as consumers multiply more rapidly than production...
...The average yield of many a Wisconsin herd is 300 pounds per year, while the average of the state is only 175 pounds of butter, just about enough to pay the cost of keep...
...No good farmer should keep a herd of milking cows and not know to a certainty whether the labor and feed he expends on each animal returns an actual profit, or not...
...Perhaps the boy has not yet fully made up his mind just what line he expects to follow...
...Here is an interesting answer: The North Dakota Experiment Station has found that a garden of this size will produce vegetables worth $50 to $75 at wholesale...
...Profit in Canning SUPPOSE you have a garden of one-half to one-third of an acre...
...These facts are worth careful consideration by the boy who stands at the threshold of his opportunity and now has a chance to train his mind to think straight, as well as to learn how to handle effectively and efficiently his time and his talents...
...In the field of agriculture the opportunity for useful effort is unrivaled for there is no limit to the chance which the well trained young man has in this field...
...In the earlier years naturally a large majority of the graduates of our agricultural colleges were needed to fill the professional positions which were then open, but competition is now much keener for these positions, as in all other branches of the teaching field...
...Just so long as they are content to move along in the same rut, to ignore the findings of modern science and the tested experience of others, to let well enough alone and drift rather than to push, just so long will the returns of the average farm be absurdly low...
...The business side of agriculture like any other business, is held down and encumbered with the multitude who are unwilling to apply the results of modern science or indifferent to its value...
...2) Consideration for the other man's feelings, trying to understand his position and his claims as well as your own...
...If we do not take advantage of the opportunity then, the chance slips by and too frequently the regrets of after years are unavailing...
...Think, think, think...
...Opportunities Await Trained Men in Farming By H. L. RUSSELL Witcontin College of Agriculture MANY a young man who has finished high school is now considering the question whether he will spend additional time in educational training to fit him better for his life work...
...In the practical field, however, there is no need for the trained man to fear competition...
...As men, (1) truthfulness in word and act, which means courage also...
...Here are the qualities I would emphasize as being essential to your success as men and farmers: "As farmers, (1) close and constant observation of the land and the crops, watching every change as it comes...
...While the oportunity to learn is always before us, no matter how old we are or the conditions under which we may labor, yet the years of conscious training and preparation come to the great majority during youth...
...This means insight and patience, and it helps you to turn many bad corners...
...Why do the corn fields year after year of the members of the Wisconsin Experiment association run from 10 to 20 bushels above the average yield of the state...
...Here is the message he sends especially to farm boys through The Progressive Farmer...
...They have learned the lesson of good seed and good culture and reap the profits thereby...
...2) Close and constant reflection on everything observed, always asking, 'Why is this so?' and always persevering till an answer has been found...
...At retail prices these vegetables would bring about $185...
...Lord Bryce speaks from a long, useful and successful life of nearly eighty years and what he says is worth treasuring in one's memory: "I am glad to send a message to the farm boys of the Southern States...
...But if the same vegetables were CANNED they would bring a return of over $300...
...For this reason the product of the farm, as well as the land itself, is very unlikely to bring less returns than the average values now received...
...You can't be truthful unless you are brave...
...What will it earn for you...
...The man who is able to apply these lessons certainly is able to compete advantageously with the average...
...WHEN building roads remember that the better we build for the future the lower will be our highway upkeep in the near future.—Farm, Stock and Home...
...Simply because Wisconsin farmers are more progressive than the average...
Vol. 8 • September 1916 • No. 9
