686 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ' Off. Doc. 



plow." We have eveu saiij;- about the <;h)ries of the "mau behind 

 the guu" and people are prone to praise him for the noble work that 

 he has done. INIany a battle has been fought and many a victory 

 won and in this all praise is due to the man behind the gun. In 

 this busy, bustling age people seem to be going it on the run, and 

 somehow have not time for thinking about the "man behind the 

 plow," but after all we must acknowledge that we are all dependent 

 upon him notwithstanding. 



AA'hen we write or think about the man behind the plow we must 

 remember we are discussing the first man whom God created. In 

 His infinite wisdom, God created Adam who was the first man and 

 who also was a farmer. God said to Adam, "Till the ground and 

 keep the garden beautiful." So from that time down along un- 

 counted ages, the earth has been tilled and the whole world has been 

 kept in life and vigor by "the man behind the plow." When we 

 si)eak of this man we do not simply mean the one who turns over 

 the soil behind a pair of sturdy horses, but we mean the man be- 

 hind his business, the man who is thoroughly in sympathy and 

 love Avitli every feature of his work in, on and around the farm. 

 Love your farm as you should love it and your sons and daughters 

 will learn to love it also. 



Speak unkindly and half-heartedly about yonr f:nui and the boys 

 will soon lay plans to leave the parental roof for an abode in the 

 city. Herein lies one of the secrets of why boys want to leave the 

 good old farm. 



Pi'aise the bridge that carries you safely over the stream and 

 iliiis praise the business that controls the prosperity of our Nation. 



The man behind the plow should be an active man, full of energy, 

 full of push, full of minding his own affairs and not that of his 

 neighbors. 



The right man behind the plow will set his work in order and 

 make his plans for attending all the Farmers' Institutes within his 

 district; who will take down' notes of the good and valuable 

 points thrown out by thoroughly practical men; who will put the 

 same into practice during the following season and thus raise 

 higher the standard of agriculture, which is the most honorable, 

 most healthful, most noble and most useful pursuit of man. 



The successful man behind the i)low is the man who personally 

 oversees his business in all its details. The writer knows what 

 that means. A paper or essay has been commenced to be read at 

 some farmers' meeting (perhaps at the State Board of Agriculture 

 meeting), when he is frequently interrupted by calls from the tele- 

 phone, or is wanted at the stock barn or other places to direct affairs 

 there, that needs his pcMsonal attention. Afler dropping ])cn or 



