882 State Horticultural Society. 



The great bulk of the nation was not intended to speak and 

 write, but to work, and must therefore be trained in the special 

 avocation they may wish to follow. 



At the present moment the future of rural society or education 

 is a great problem. The land question in all countries is one of 

 paramount importance ; it has engaged the attention of the ablest 

 minds of modern times, and it behooves us to throw into its manage- 

 ment the highest possible skill. Gold is a rare commodity, there- 

 fore you only give it to the skilled artisan, while on the other hand, 

 the management of the soil which raises a host of scientific and 

 economic considerations of the utmost delicacy is left in most cases 

 to those who have not had any training in science or in the techni- 

 calities of agriculture. 



Farming is a pursuit which requires in these days the utmost 

 skill and versatility. This fact is admitted not by mere theorists, 

 but by the most practical agriculturists in every country. These 

 days of depression have been the death knell of unskilled farming. 

 The idea entertained by many that farming does not necessarily 

 require previous technical training is quite as absurd as to try to 

 follow any of the professions without their special training school. 



I shall not inflict upon this audience today any statistics, but 

 I should like to know what the loss is to this country resulting 

 from unskilled agriculture. The figures would be astounding if 

 known. 



What we want is trained farmers, as much as we want trained 

 men in any other pursuit. If our universities train our statesmen, 

 our doctors, our lawyers, our clergy, our literary and our scien- 

 tific men, I can see no reason why they should not also give us 

 the highest possible attainment in agricultural skill. — Missouri 

 Agricultural College Farmer. 



NAME OF THE FARM AND VILLAGE HOME. 



How the months do fly! Here it is December, and a fire on 

 the hearth feels good. Too late, now, to do much adorning out- 

 doors; but we can sit around the cheerful home blaze and plan 

 some future doings. Planning is half the battle, sometimes. 



How about a name for the home or the farm? Those of us 

 who haven't already selected an appropriate one had better uti- 



