. Biennial report of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture. 468 TENNESSEE AGRICULTURE THE FARMER'S BEST CROP. Mrs. Rose Nipher, of Leoma, Tenn., addressed the convention on "The Farmer's Best Crop," in which she emphasized the fact that this best crop consists of the boys and girls. Incidentally she urged com- pulsory education. Her address follows: Twenty years ago men would have laughed to scorn the idea of farmers coming together to discuss their occupations. The farmer was the butt of ridicule, and the funny man took delight in exposing to view the ignorance of the "hay
. Biennial report of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture. 468 TENNESSEE AGRICULTURE THE FARMER'S BEST CROP. Mrs. Rose Nipher, of Leoma, Tenn., addressed the convention on "The Farmer's Best Crop," in which she emphasized the fact that this best crop consists of the boys and girls. Incidentally she urged com- pulsory education. Her address follows: Twenty years ago men would have laughed to scorn the idea of farmers coming together to discuss their occupations. The farmer was the butt of ridicule, and the funny man took delight in exposing to view the ignorance of the "hay- ; Changed conditions, however, ^ bring new ideas, and the trend of. thought now is countryward. There never was a time perhaps when so much consideration was given to farm life by men and women of all classes. Colleges and schools have added the study of agriculture to their curriculum. No department in our govern- ment commands wider attention than the department of agriculture. Its many directors are men of science, each a specialist in his own hne. We have our demonstrators who show us how to grow corn, cotton, and tomatoes. Thousands of dollars have been expended experiment- ing in the care of the soil to ascertain how to produce the greatest yield. We have men to instruct us as to the care of stock and poultry. We talk of balanced rations for them. In fact in this day of progression we are told how best to equip our farms, but, to my mind, the most important farm crop has been overlooked—left without a director or scientific consideration. I am reminded of a good old farmer whom I met not long since in West Tennessee. After telling me in a very fluent manner how much ground he cultivated, the yield per acre, the number of cattle, horses, and hogs he owned, I said to my friend: *'Now tell me about your family—how many children have you?" With some hesitancy he re- plied : "Let me see; there is John, Mary, Lucy, and—well, I do de- clare! Wife, how
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