272 THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



knowledge should cause the former to practice the proper rotation 

 and diversity of crops, together with stock and poultry and fruit 

 raising, with special care and attention toward the recuperation of 

 the soil. There is every reason for the farmer to be fairly educated, 

 not only in things directly pertaining to his work, but in all the 

 common branches, and as many others as his tastes and time may 

 warrant. For this purpose a system of education should be estab- 

 lished everywhere, suited to his special needs. In connection with 

 each state university there should be a department, with at least one 

 thousand acres of land, where the most practical as well as scientific 

 ideas of farming would be fully taught, and everything be freely 

 demonstrated and practiced by all the students upon the land at the 

 college. Besides this means, there should be owned by each county, 

 at least one section of land centrally located, with its entire manage- 

 ment directly in control of the state department at the university, 

 upon which additional students could be freely taught. A system 

 of appointment free from all political influence, should be established 

 in each state, whereby students would receive free instruction and 

 practice at the state department to the number of two students from 

 each county each year, and at each county department to the number 

 of two students from each township yearly. 



Large circulating libraries at each county department should be 

 established, the books to be loaned to all farmers in the county. By 

 these two means and various others of public interest, the entire 

 farming class could soon become educated, and farm life be then con- 

 sidered not simply creditable, but honorable by everyone, whether 

 engaged in it or some other vocation. Particular attention should be 

 given by all farmers and entire communities, as to the especial quali- 

 fications of their land to the raising of some particular crop. As for 

 instance, in the state of Nebraska, two large sugar factories have for 

 years, proved the soil and climate of that state, to be superior to all 

 others in the raising of sugar beets. Therefore such inducements 

 should be made as would result in the required amount of beets being 

 raised in this region, as will produce the sugar required by the 

 people of our whole country, even if we do not ultimately export 

 some, so as to entirely cease importing raw sugar from foreign 

 countries, as has been heretofore done to the amount of $100,000,000 

 annually. Not only would this vast sum of money be kept at home 

 here, but this additional amount, would thus be paid out for labor 

 of various kinds. 



The same attention in the South should be paid to the raising of 

 rice, that we may avoid importing that. The same is true of tobacco 

 and several other products, the grades of each being by care and 

 study improved, until the desired perfection is reached. In this way, 

 by turning our attention to the producing in our own country, of 

 every thing which is possible, we not only avoid sending our money 



