574 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



in agricultural work, was $287; today, it is $600. The progress of the 

 country in railroad development and earnings, and in manufactured pro- 

 ducts has been just as marked as in the agricultural line — and still we 

 are not content. 



I wish to give you one paragraph from the article mentioned: "Com- 

 pare this striking exhibit of the prosperity which has come to the farm- 

 ers of the country with the poverty of ten or fifteen years ago, and in 

 doing so bear in mind that this is only the beginning of what we may 

 expect in farm life. In passing through the pioneering period of skim- 

 ming the cream of our most fertile soil we carried our farm production 

 beyond what could be profitably consumed by this country or for which 

 a profitable market could be found in Europe. 



"Now, enormous industrial growth with its millions of consumers 

 added to European requirements, has reversed the conditions. 



"We have reached the time of improved methods in farming and of 

 restoration of fertility to the soil. Much is heard about the increase of 

 the fertilizer trade of the country — and the development of this industry 

 has been commensurate with that of other large business interests, but 

 the real improvement of farming is found more largely in better meth- 

 ods of handling the soil than in wider use of commercial means. Scien- 

 tists are teaching farmers here and there, and from them others are 

 learning how to rejuvenate and rebuild their land by the use of alfalfa, 

 sowpeas, vetch, and other crops. They are learning how to diversify 

 crops. The orchard, the truck garden, the dairy, are all yielding ma- 

 terially to swell these great totals of agricultural output and increase in 

 farm values." 



If I read the meaning of the above correctly, and if I am also per- 

 mitted to cast a glance at the future problem of the farmer, I would 

 say that -he must give his attention to at least four phases of his educa- 

 tion. 



First — He must study to preserve the power of the soil. 



Second — He must study to improve the quality of the production. 



Third — He must study to increase the quantity of the production per 

 acre. 



Fourth — He must study to prevent losses caused by the ravages of 

 the enemies of his crops — the insect enemies. 



In the last point mentioned there is a problem that needs much thought 

 and work. Largely increased values may be the result of such labor. 

 Last year, in the state of Missouri, $12,000,000 were spent for the educa- 

 tion of the children of the state, and in the same time the injurious in- 

 sects destroyed at least $14,000,000 worth of its products. 



A few years ago in Nebraska the chinch bug began to eat up the small 

 grain crops of that state and ruin seemed inevitable. Prof. Bruner of 

 the State University thought and worked and formed a way to rid the 

 country of the pest by growing diseased bugs and turning them loose in 

 any field where the chinch bugs were at work. Soon all the bugs of the 

 field were inoculated and destroyed by the disease. The diseased bugs 

 were sent by mail from the laboratory of Mr. Bruner to any farmer need- 

 ing them, and his fields were soon rid of the enemy. No one could esti- 

 mate the value of such thought, but perhaps it was enough to pay many 



