354 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



City people usually belong to that class that think farming is 

 rather a degrading occupation, and that any other occupation, no 

 matter what it might be is superior to it. They do not think at that 

 time that the farmers are the only men that afford them subsistence. 

 If it were not for the farmer there would be very few independent 

 people. If farmers would discontinue to raise more grains and 

 friiits than what they need, the tables vrould be turned and the farmer 

 would be the independent one, while the city people ignorant in that 

 certain occupation, would be making a rude display of themselves 

 in trying to raise what little they are compelled to have. 



If there were no farmers there would be very little employment 

 of any kind. All the different kinds of factories, especially shoe fac- 

 tories and carpet factories are supported directly by the aid of the 

 farmers. No mill could be in existence were it not for the energetic 

 farmers. For instance, look at the flour mills of Minnesota. Where 

 would they obtain the wheat they turn into flour, to afford employ- 

 ment to so many thousand hands, if it were not for the farmers who 

 raise it and then ship it there? But how many of these factory 

 j)eople yet think they are so much better than the farmers. They do 

 not realize that they soon would be out of employment if the farmers 

 should only shut down their factories. So if everything would be 

 taken in consideration it could easily be seen that the farmers are the 

 people that should be held in the highest esteem. 



There is a general idea prevailing in some communities that far- 

 mers are not as intelligent as other people. Some are just as intelli- 

 gent and even more so than many, and others would be if their em- 

 ployment gave them the opportunities to take advantage of the 

 same. Many of the farmers have not the time to spend in the de- 

 A'elopment of the brain. Do not think that many have no education 

 at all. They all are well educated, but mostly in the line of raising 

 crops, which is doubly good. 



John Parnell, a noted writer, says: 



"It matters not what you do, 

 Make a nation or a shoe; 

 For he who does an honest thing-, 

 In God's pure sight is ranked a king." 



The farmers often neglect to give their children all the value of 

 education. The parents need their children on the farm, and so at 

 an early age compel them to quit going to school, and many of them 

 never let their children finish the course in the public school. Years 

 ago some of the farmers thought that their children needed no more 

 of an education than what their parents received. That was a sad 

 mistake, but the vague idea is fast dying out. When there is such 



