THIRD ANNUAL YEAH BOOK— PART V. 197 



The agricultural experiment stations of the country, fifty or more are 

 essential to the farmers' and stock breeders' business. Perhaps no class 

 of men dote more on "practical experience" than farmers, and true it is 

 that when you work out a thing for yourself and get the right answer, it's 

 complete and satisfying. Josh Billings says there is one thing peculiar 

 about a self-made man — he's always proud of the job. But jokes aside, 

 the most practical, the most progressive, most successful farmers, stock- 

 men, creamerymen, keep a sharp eye on the experimental work of the 

 agricultural colleges. They solve new problems quick and by better 

 methods than can be done anywhere else, for they have the facilities and 

 exist for that end. What George Washington recommended a century 

 ago, Cyrus C. Carpenter of Iowa, when in congress, framed into law, 

 which in 1887 was passed, appropriating money as a perpetual aid to 

 agricultural experiment work in connection with the land grant colleges. 



The value of this work the country over can be estimated approxi- 

 mately by taking our own splendid institution at Ames as an example. 

 While such eminent men as the lamented McKinley, President Roosevelt, 

 James Wilson and others endorse and fostter agricultural experimenta- 

 tion, and so long as we see the splendid results of the work, study it, 

 follow it, swear by it. They discovered certain facts that lead to economy 

 of labor, or saving in feeds, or increased production of grains or grasses, 

 or better methods in cheese and butter making or develop better varie- 

 ties of fruits and vegetables, or produce a Shamrock for the fat stock 

 show, or beat the world on fine stock judging. Why not keep up with 

 the experiment station? The Ames boys are filling good positions every- 

 where ai fine salaries, or, if doing work for themselves on some broad 

 western farm, are succeeding like eminent "captains of industry" which 

 they are. Put your sons into these short courses in dairying or stock 

 judging, or, better still, give them a full course that covers these vital 

 subjects of botany, chemistry, zoology, geology and 'a that. It will 

 broaden them, polish them, quicken them, give them confidence in self, 

 and enable them to cope with the powerful competition of today, whether 

 brains or brawn, whether statecraft or commerce or field sports. Who 

 have preferment in places of trust and emolument? It is the educated as 

 against the uneducated, 100 to 1. (The Inter Ocean some time ago pub- 

 lished an editorial in which it is claimed that college trained people had 

 advantage over the unschooled 700 to 1.) When Daniel Webster's father 

 told him he was to have his wish gratified, he would send him to college, 

 he fell upon his father's neck and wept for joy. There are Iowa boys 

 who carry with them this burning desire which if you gratify you will 

 add jewels both to «your crown and theirs. Lincoln once met a ragged 

 urchin on the street and said to himself, "You can't tell what possibili- 

 ties are buttoned up in that old coat," and at that moment he drew a 

 picture of himself and did not know it — did not seem to know. 



"The One Essential" for this hour's discussion is dairying as a neces- 

 sary adjunct of stock raising and general farming. Shakespeare says 

 "learning is but an adjunct to ourself," but since learning is life, since 

 knowledge put to use is power, since it is the truth that makes us free, 



