314 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



All work done not for the good humanity is work done in vain. 

 It is not so hard to earn or accumulate as it is to take care of 

 things or to conserve them, that is, make them go as far as possible 

 for our own and other's welfare. Conservation, I say, should be 

 the watchword of every man and woman. I would like to see the 

 word "conservation" placed on a pennant and the pennant fly from 

 ocean to ocean and from pole to pole. 



The human mind fails fully to conceive, and the pen lies help- 

 less when the needs of Missouri soil are considered and when we 

 attempt to write of these things. But what are we as farmers doing 

 for Missouri soil? As good as it is, the fact is driven home to us 

 that soil building and road building are Missouri's greatest needs. 

 Farmers, conserve the soil. Breed and raise livestock, destroy the 

 weeds as soon as they begin to grow. Practice deep and winter 

 plowing, stop washes, tile your low land, rotate your crops, and 

 fertilize, eternally fertilize. 



Farmers should encourage conservation of Missouri streams 

 in the way of building levees, erecting dams and installing drain- 

 age. Harness the rivers for power ; eliminate overflows, and drain 

 for reclamation. 



We need more railways in Missouri. Many of the counties 

 are as yet untouched by rail, and we can not completely conserve 

 without railways. It takes capital to build a railway, but today 

 the railway helps build the farmer. The freight rates may at times 

 be appalling, but we had better pay the price than do without serv- 

 ice. Inferior service excels none at all. 



The lack of conservation in the live stock world is tremendous. 

 Consequently we have high-priced food and much inferior meat. 

 At the same time there is decreased production and increased popu- 

 lation. This will be remedied in a few years, but all live stock 

 producers will have to do their share in the work. This flrst step 

 is the conservation of the heifer calf. In the corn-belt states a 

 bill will soon be before the legislatures asking that this step be 

 taken. Should this bill generally become a law it would go far 

 toward checking the cattle shortage. Correct breeding and sanitary 

 conditions will also aid in solving the cattle supply question. The 

 more systematically and scientifically we breed, water and feed, 

 the greater the conservation of our live stock. The horse world 

 has found that a rusty nail will cause lockjaw, an infected tooth or 

 bad feed, sickness and perhaps death. Therefore every known 

 preventive or precaution is used to conserve the horse family. 



