[ BuEEAu OF Agkicultuee. 215 



ture is by far the greatest of all the industries in west- 

 em Kentucky; in fact, it is the greatest of the nation. 

 The annual production of new wealth from agriculture 

 is far greater than the new wealth produced each year 

 from all the other sources combined. It is greater than 

 the annual yield from mining, manufacturing, and even 

 from transportation add6d to mining and manufactur- 

 ing. Western Kentucky is essentially an agricultural 

 community. Probably not less than four-fifths of all the 

 new wealth created each year in western Kentucky comes 

 directly from agriculture. In comparison the manufact- 

 uring and mining industries in western Kentucky are in- 

 considerable. And yet who ever heard of an organiza- 

 tion of business men or bankers in any community in 

 western Kentucky for the purpose of promoting, en- 

 couraging and fostering more efficient and more intelli- 

 gent agriculture? In every one of our larger towns we 

 have commercial clubs or boards of trade spending 

 thousands of dollars to induce the location of factories 

 or to support already established factories that are un- 

 able to survive. In other words we are spending our 

 money to nurture the growth of an unacclimated indus- 

 try, and neglecting the opportunity at hand to foster the 

 growth of our greatest industry, for whose success we 

 have within reach every element except the encourage- 

 ment and teaching necessary for it to attain the maxi- 

 mum. And yet the remedy for the economic disease is 

 prepared and ready to be administered. The solution 

 of the problem has been worked out, and all that is neces- 

 sary is for enterprise and intelligence to apply it to the 

 affected part of our community. 



There never has been a time, and I suppose there 

 never will be a time when the banker will not be one 

 of the conspicuously prominent members of his com- 

 munity. This is said not to flatter a meeting of bank- 

 ers, because it is my purpose not to flatter you, but to 

 point out to you wherein you have failed to meet the 

 responsibilities of your position. You are conspicuous 

 because you have been chosen by your fellow-citizens to 

 be the custodian and the keeper of that which represents 

 the successful issue of all their commercial struggles and 

 hard-won battles, "With you is deposited for safe keep- 



