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It is a pleasing thought to a humble farmer to know that 

 there are not a few of his brother farmers that are able to rep- 

 resent him; not only in conventions of this kind, but also in the 

 halls of legislation. Yet it is a deplorable fact that the farmer in 

 general is not as well educated as the manufacturer, successful 

 merchant, banker and railroad manager. The all-absorbing 

 question with the average farmer is how to better his condition 

 financially. 



After three years of short crops and low prices, in many 

 instances, the bank account has been supplemented by the. much 

 dreaded mortgage. 



How to grow better crops, how to improve his live 

 stock and sell at remunerative prices, so absorbs his mind that 

 he forgets to look after that which is worth vastly more import- 

 ance than large crops, fine stock, or fertile farm, namely, the 

 education of himself and his family. 



The storing of the mind with useful knowledge pertaining 

 to the business of the farm is just as indispensable to the success 

 and prosperity of the farmer as a business education is in any 

 department of business or a professional education to a clergy- 

 man, physician or lawyer. 



Has the farmer made use of the opportunities that are ever 

 before him to educate himself as men are educated in these enter- 

 prises? 



The success of the farmer is the sure measure of success for 

 all other enterprises. 



Is it not very important that he should be qualified mentally 

 as well as physically to make his success more sure in the future 

 than it has been in the past? Agriculture has kept pace with 

 civilization. 



Does the farmer deserve all the credit for the progress? 



The inventor and mechanic deserve the gratitude of every 

 farmer in the land for the improvement in agricultural imple- 

 ments used in the cultivation of the soil and harvesting its prod- 

 ucts. The agricultural press, farmers' institute, dairymen's 

 association, are doing more practical work in one year for the 



