No. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 153 



of agriculture in the country. You cannot have a good farm without 

 soil. 



Then the next is, feeding the soil. And the third is home-making. 

 Throughout Pennsylvania there are approximately two hundred and 

 eighteen thousand or more farm houses, and who would there be 

 to build up these farm houses today were it not for the queens — the 

 mothers? We old farmers realize that we cannot make the homes — 

 did you ever try that? — without the tender touch of motherly care. 

 And second in importance only to soil-building, comes home build- 

 ing in our work. To this we devote at all our meetings, a large 

 period, under the title of "Home Economics." In this way we touch 

 the social part of the homelife, of the school, and of the church. You 

 know my fellow farmers, those of you who live in Stroudsburg, and 

 those who live elsewhere, that the average minister has not yet 

 learned to pray for the farmer. He can pray for everything else, 

 and can enter into other forms of commercial life, or of business 

 life; but when it comes to praying to the good Lord to bless the har- 

 vest, it does not seem, in many cases, to meet the needs of the farmer, 

 and it does seem as though it should be made a special study to 

 learn how to pray properly for the farmer, and how the country 

 church should be made to minister to the farmer. That country 

 church should be made the centre of all the highest and best re- 

 ligious and social enjoyment. Without a good soil, a good home, and 

 a good country church, there can not be a successful agriculture, 

 and without a successful agriculture, there can not be a successful 

 nation. If the nation is to endure, its agriculture must be success- 

 ful, and to that end we are devoting our energies when we study 

 these great problems that come up before us in these institute meet- 

 ings. 



Now, my friends, I did not intend to talk so long. You will ob- 

 serve by the hoarseness of my voice that I have been foolish enough 

 to contract a little cold, so I am glad to call on our Secretary of 

 Agriculture, who is with us, to relieve me, and address you, after 

 which we will hear from a large man, with a weak voice, which you 

 may possible be able to hear if you listen. Secretary Critchfield will 

 now speak to you. He has not very much work to do, having charge 

 of Ihe Dej^artment of Agriculture, of which this institute work is a 

 bureau. 



ADDRESS 



By HON. N. B. CRITCHFIELD, Secretary of Agriculture 



Mr. Chairman, Judge Staples, Burgess Edinger, Ladies, Suffra- 

 gettes and Gentlemen (I guess I have concluded you all) : I think you 

 will agree with me that Mr. Martin is taking advantage of my ex- 

 treme youth in calling me out in this way, and it is not right. 



