THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART XI. 689 



small country home where the teacher can know and mother each indi- 

 vidual.? Do the town people begrudge us our good records that they harp 

 in our ears, township schools for our little ones? "We are told it will he 

 cheaper. Does not the average farmer pay his taxes as willingly and 

 honestly as anyone though they are no light burden? I might speak of 

 the winters with their deep snows and impossible roads. I might speak 

 of the bitterly cold days when you would not think of sending your chil- 

 dren a half dozen miles or more to school. I might speak of the spring 

 break-up when the roughness of the highways would be death to a delicate 

 child. I might go on indefinitely, but I refrain. We have no fight against 

 town schools; we glory in those of our state and in the work they are 

 doing. As our children advance in years and knowledge, we seek their 

 services and gladly pay their prices. But in regard to our country schools 

 we would that our legislators and educators would cease their murmur- 

 ings. We ask, we beg, we implore them to permit us to retain the school 

 house on the hill, the church in the valley. They have done much toward 

 giving to Iowa the lowest percentage of illiteracy in the nation. Their 

 work is not yet finished — we trust it is only just begun. 



Mitchell county farmers making progress? Is there one that doubts 

 it? Each year sees the price of land mount a little higher — his farm home 

 a little larger and more beautiful, his outbuildings more numerous and 

 modern, the yields of his grain a little larger, the sales of his stock a 

 little greater and statistics show that mortgages are being paid off more 

 rapidly than in the days of the cheap land. 



We are abundantly supplied with machinery of modern Invention. 

 The corn binder a few years ago was unknown. Last fall Mitchell county 

 put into shock hundreds of acres of corn and thereby saved for herself 

 thousands of dollars. The cutter, planter and digger have greatly in- 

 creased our potato average, and the crop is a profitable one. 



But yields of grain must be still farther increased — all fodder must 

 be used — the amount of forage per acre must be doubled — all scrub stock 

 must go, even the mongrel poultry we will have none of. We must come 

 to know that the best is none too good for our Iowa soil. 



The comforts of life receive due consideration. Few are without a 

 surry or carriage or both. The homes are tastily and elaborately fur- 

 nished. Books and periodicals are abundant. Telegraphs and telephones 

 do his bidding. Two rural mail routes are now in operation and it is 

 reported that three more will start with the beginning of next month. 

 Life's necessities, comforts, yea many of its luxuries, are ours. As if to 

 keep pace with all the rest, the very clime has modified and improved, 

 and delightful winters are now our portion. 



One other thought and I am done. It is this: Commercial, financial, 

 even intellectual progress counts for little unless accompanied by true 

 moral worth. In regard to our improvement or lack of improvement in 

 this line, the last census is silent — no statistics are compiled and so, 

 farmers of Mitchell county, I come to you asking, are we making moral 

 progress? Is there an upward tendency? Are we more temperate? Are 

 honesty and honor abroad in the land? Is there any danger of our ideals 



