446 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVII. No. 1218 



(4) phosphorus hunger, a fundamental factor, 

 since "in no other way can the production of 

 wheat tie increased as quickly and as effectively as 

 by placing an abundant supply of acid phosphate 

 within the reach of the farmers [east of the Miss- 

 issippi] at a reasonable price"; (5) insufficient 

 transportation — to meet the needs of drainage, 

 liming, fertilizing and other supplies, as well as 

 the movement of products; and (6) labor defi- 

 ciency, which limits improvement in all directions. 



Despite the development of farm machinery and 

 scientific methods of farming, human labor is in- 

 dispensable, and "each improvement in machinery 

 or in method has made it more and more necessary 

 that that labor be something more than mere 

 brawn." Even common labor unskilled in farm 

 work, it was pointed out, is not to be had at wages 

 which the prices of farm products justify. It was 

 maintained that the increased production of food 

 is dependent chiefly upon such coordination of 

 wages and prices of farm produce that the cost of 

 the increased production may not be greater than 

 its market value, and upon such coordination of 

 transportation activities that the farmer may ob- 

 tain the tile, Ume and fertilizers essential to an 

 enlarged production. The thesis was laid down 

 that "in the present emergency the production of 

 food is not less important to the nation 's life than 

 the production of munitions or carrying the rifle, ' ' 

 and further that, "if food production is to be 

 maintained the prices of farm products must be 

 such as to permit the payment of wages corre- 

 sponding to those paid in the production of muni- 

 tions." To meet the necessities of war, the 

 speaker went so far as to advocate selective con- 

 scription of labor for the production, manufac- 

 ture aaid transportation of food and munitions, 

 contending that selective conscription for the nec- 

 essary support of the military service is equally de- 

 fensible with selective conscription for military 

 service. 



In considering the subject from the broad stand- 

 point of "The human element," Mr. Herbert 

 Quick, of the Federal Farm Loan Board, devel- 

 oped a strong, logical argument for education 

 suited to the agricultural industry and its environ- 

 ment. Starting with the now recognized fact that 

 the hands are controlled by the mind, and that the 

 mind back of the operation is far more important 

 than the body, he contended that this faculty must 

 be trained and guided to make it effective and to 

 develop in it a proper attitude toward its occupa- 

 tion and environment. Men are bound to their oo- 

 eupations by a variety of elements, and it is not 



alone the financial side which makes a calling at- 

 tractive. Traditional respect binds people to an 

 occupation, as in the case of the professions. Pub- 

 lic appreciation of what one is doing is another 

 factor in binding men to their work, and agreeable 

 environment is often another important considera- 

 tion. But the thing that most of all binds a man 

 to his occupation is that it engrosses all of his 

 powers, that it brings into action every power of 

 his being. 



Farmers have been largely deprived of these 

 stimulating influences. They have been looked 

 down upon historically, as is shovm, for example, 

 by the origin of many common words in our lan- 

 guage. Their art has been based largely on tra- 

 dtion and experience. Their environment has 

 been hard and neglected. And schools have been 

 prescribed for them and books employed which 

 have educated children away from farming and 

 caused them to look to other walks of life for 

 careers which would engross their powers, bring 

 appreciation and position, and return a large 

 measure of satisfaction. 



Conditions are now changing. Already the at- 

 tempt at agricultural teaching has shown its ad- 

 vantage in making the farming occupations more 

 attractive, more gratifying, and a source of pride, 

 and in producing more effective workers. Where 

 the country school is right the children stay in it 

 longer and feel a real pride in it. Where properly 

 developed, it was predicted that it will turn the 

 tide and retain the children in the country. Its 

 position is a fundamental one and it will affect all 

 rural industries and institutions. The permanent 

 basis of increased agricultural production is the 

 development of the farm people and especially the 

 children; and most important of all, for perma- 

 nent advancement "we need in this country a farm 

 population engaged in a grapple with its own 

 problems. ' ' The accomplishment of these ends was 

 placed back on the country school. 



The officers of the Section elected for 1918 were 

 as follows: Vice-president, Dr. H. P. Armsby, di- 

 rector of the Institute of Animal Nutrition, State 

 College, Pa.; Member of the General Committee of 

 the Association, Dr. K. A. Pearson, Assistant Sec- 

 retary of Agriculture; Member of the Council of 

 the Association, Dr. C. E. Marshall, Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College, Amherst, Mass.; Member of 

 the Sectional Conmiittee (for five years). Dr. John 

 Lee Coulter, dean of the college of agriculture. 

 West Virginia University. 



E. W. Allen, 



Secretary 



