HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
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Home and Farm Magazine Section Editorial Page
Timely, Pertinent Comment Upon Men and Affairs, Following the Trend of World News; Suggestions of Interest to Readers;
Hints Along Lines of Progressive Farm Thought.
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4 . ?
WISDOM AND ABILITY.
AN ERROR that is very common today
is the confusion of wisdom with abil
ity. A man lias gained great knowl
edgo of agriculture and stock breeding
through study; this, per se, argues that he
should be a most successful farmer, lie may
become such, but it docs not follow. "A per
son may have learned much but this only
points out what he has to work with, not
what he will do. Learning may prove a bur
den until a man understands tlio uses of it.
The slory is often told of two men, who,
with the same opportunities and tho same
aptitude for study, look up farming as
vocation, one making a notable success of
it, tho other a failure. Ono has been cited
to show the value of 'a thorough technical
training; the other has been used to illus
trate the failure of an agricultural eollcgi
to turn out a farmer. Either conclusion is
entirely wrong. It was not learning that
made one man a success and that made one
a failure; it was tho knowledge of how to
use that education that made tho distinction.
This but illustrates the inaccuracy of basing
conclusions on results rather than indi
viduals, lint for the personal equation thcM
was every reason for the two men to meet
with the same degree of success, for they
wore equally well-equipped, Tho difference
was that; one made the right use of his equip
ment, tho other let it provo a burden in
ttead of an aid,
Wisdom merely as wisdom is valueless,
both to oneself and ono's neighbor. It is
when that which is learned is put into prao
tico for the benefit of oneself or ono's neigh
bor that the true reason for study is found.
Too many people can tell others just how
things should be done hut lack tho actual
abil'ty to do any of tho things themselves,
It is this which has given "book-l'arning"
ill repute in some sections. The lack of prac
ticality in graduates lias been the principal
criticism the schools and universities of our
nation have had to faco. Sometimes it is the
fault of tho institution", but too often it is
the person who is crammed with knowledgo
Le has not fully digested and docs not know
What to do with, that is to blame.
HEALTH PAYS.
WHETHER you raise chickens, horses,
apples or potatoes, you are vitally
interested in methods of prevention
and of fighting the diseases to which they
aro Busceptible. It is an economic saving to
prevent disease from destroying a portion
of your income, and looking at it in that
light you tako what precautions you think
aro necessary.
Do you give as much attention to your
own health as you do to that of a favorite
steer t
Irregular meals, long hours and bard
jvork tend to undermine tho health, if pre
cautions afo not taken. And, considered
from tho viewpoint of dollars and cents, it
fa fur more .valuable to you that you retain
your own health than to ruin tho delicate
machine of the body. If guarding oneself
against ill-health means a certain amount of
neglect of stock or produce, just consider
the) neglect which would ensue were you con
lined to bed. Aside from monetary consid
erations, which are, or should be, secondary,
what profit it though you gain a fortune and
lose your well-being f
Health is the most valuable thing on earth
to tho human animal "With it ho may enjoy
life in its simplest aspect; without it he
cannot enjoy the most pretentious of pleas
ures. And in the long run, health pays.
THE HORSE AGAIN.
VETERAN nORSE TRADERS are al
most unanimous in declaring that the
past summer was one of the worst
they had ever known for their business.
Prices wcro low and there were few buyers
even at sales replete with good bargains.
Prom one of tho greatest slumps it has
known since the inroad of the automobile,
tho horse market suddenly revived on the
declaration of war in Europe, with the re
sult that it is in a better condition today
than it has been in a long while.
The horse is yet far from being, a thing of
the past. In spite of the marvelous heavily
armored land cruisers the autoniobilo manu
facturers have given to tho military man,
the cavalry is an essential part of an army
in the field. This is probably as much so
today as it over was, though beforo the pres
ent conflict had begun many had predicted
that the cavalry would prove of liltlo value
in modern fighting with high power, long
range guns, and aeroplanes to do theBeout
duty hitherto assigned to tho cavalry. Yet
as it has turned out thus far, tho German
cavalry is one of the most el'fectivo forces
tho Kaiser is using against tho allied armies.
The gallant Uhlans have shared much of tho
laurels of victory with tho mighty Biege
guns and marvclously trained infantry. And
tho cavalry corps in tho British and French
military machines have rendered excellent
account of themselves.
A horso is a splendid mark for' a bullet,
however, and it is not to bo wondered at
that the supply is rapidly decreasing in
Europe. For many weeks tho fighting has
been principally between tho foot soldiers
and artillery, with only occasional sorties by
tho cavalry. Rut each mounted raid costs
dearly in the lives of horses and men.
Already dealers in the United States havo
been commissioned by European powers to
),irchaso horso flesh for uso on continental
battlefields. This means nn increaso in value
that is ecrtnin to bo taken advantage of by
breeders. There is money in raising good
horses now, more money than there has been
in years, and Northwestern breeders will ba
among thoso who profit by the increased de
mand. THE FARMER'S OPPORTUNITY.
THE FARMER'S nOUR has come. The
products of his Bkill, energy, capital
and labor will be wanted as never bo
foro In the history of modern times. In tho
Irish Homestead appears tho following oom
mcnt, which is surely applicablo to American
farmers :
"Lord Kitchener, whose views as a soldier
one must respect, seems to be of opinion tho
struggle will be a long one, and if that is
truo, the exhaustion of tho agricultural har
vest of Ejirope, only half gathered in, and
tho certainty that until the war is ended
there will be very little further agricultural
production, should ensure a rich reward for
tho fanners in tbeso countries who aro for
tunato enough to be ablo to work uninter
ruptedly on their land. When the present
European harvest is consumed, what har
vesta will there bo to bo gathered except
those of tho farmers hi countries like our
own, Wo believe the utmost agricultural
production possible to us will pay farmers
and prove profitable even if thoy find pro
duction moro expensive than hitherto. They
must not think Ihat the prices prevailing
when tho present harvest has just been gath
ered will be tho prices of next year. If the
war continues for such a timo as Lord
Kitchener anticipates, wo will really havo
laniino prices all over Europe,"
DEPRESSION TEMPORARY.
THE LAMENTABLE war waging in
Europe, the most widespread, costly
and probably to be the most destrue-.
tive of human life ever waged on the sur-.
faco of the earth, is felt all over tho world
in Some degree. The navies of the belliger- '
ents (ire so numerous in their units, so swift
and so powerful as a whole, that the high
seas in every quarter of the globe are ren
dered unsafe for merchant ships. Never be
foro has a war prevailed which was felt so
widely over the earth as that now raging
in Western Europe.
It is impossible to see how this should
continue long. The crops of the United
States are the largest ever harvested in
cereals, and the cotton crop is immense.
The belligerent nations will need these com
modities, not only as much as usual, but far
more. Tho exportable wheat crop of Amer
ica is exceedingly large. So is the corn crop,
and also the cotton crop. If these staple
should be permanently tied up it would be
in a way as disastrous to our people as to
those engaged in the combat. If the embargo
on commerce should last many months tho
effects would be felt in almost every house
hold in America.
It is a matter of astonishment that the
groat English fleet, aided by that of France,
has not already driven all the ships of wa?
of the Teuton nations from the waters of
the Seven Seas. From London have come
assurances that the sea between our country
and Great Britain was. open and safe to
ships of commerce, but there is some doubt
in the minds of the shippers, and more in
thoso of tho insurance people as to the ac
curacy of this statement.
There is, to be sure, another reason for
tho temporary stay in the export business of
foodstuffs- and cotton, so greatly needed in
Great Britain and other European countries,
namely, tho lack of money to pay for the
cargoes. To bo sure, there is no very great
scarceness of provisions yet in most part
of Europe. It is harvest time all through
theso courftrics, and in spito of the absence
of the able-bodied men in the war most of
the. crops will be gathered. When the home
supplies of food aro exhausted, as will be
tho caso in a couple of months at th6 most,
and when tho spot stock of cotton is all
used up, wo may bo assured that ways and
means will be devised to get new supplies
into tho country.
The prices of theso commodities are sure
to be good, and it is difficult to reason out
any wherefore that would indicato any long,
continued depression in business in America.
Did you over notico what a splendid thing
a club is in a social or intellectual way until
politics enters itt
Even tho oldest inhabitants can't remem
ber when last Delavan's comet that celes
tial visitor visiblo in the northern sky this
month paid its respects to Mother Earth,
It was something like ten thousand yean
ago, say tho men who claim to know.
Funny how closo together Christmas Boa.
sons are in stringent years.
Eat, drink and be merry, but don't forgot
tomorrow's bill.
Tho Russian Jows may profit by the war.
They are well treated in the Czar's army and
receive prompt promotion. And this treat
ment may survivo the war.
Some say tho, aftermath of war novels
and dramas will rival the horrors of war.
Even the most optimistic have about loot
hope that it will be a brief, decisive war.
Funny how non-committal some candidate
lire on the prohibition question, They are
equally prepared to support cither a wet or
dry Blato, according to the election returns.
Isn't It easy to tell a person what yon
think of him over tho telephone! And isn't
it fuu to hung up before ho con answer backf