American Agriculture Indebted
To Abraham Lincoln More Than
To Any Other of Our Presidenfs
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
(Beleased by Western Newspaper Union.)
A TALL man in rusty black arose from his chair on a flag
draped platform and made his way awkwardly to the
speaker’s stand. He seemed ill at ease as he gazed on
the weathered faces of the crowd before him.
Then he began to speak. Almost at once his self-conscious
ness vanished. His sorrowful, deep-set eyes lighted up. His
voice warmed. His hearers <
leaned forward to catch each
word.
“No other human occupa
tion,” he said, “opens so wide
a field for the profitable and
agreeable combination of la
bor with cultivated thought
as agriculture ... Every blade
of grass is a study; and to
produce two where there was
but one is both a profit and a
pleasure. And not grass
alone, but soils, seeds and
seasons; saving crops, dis
eases of crops and what will
prevent and cure them; hogs,
horses and cattle; trees,
shrubs, fruits, plants and
flowers—each is a world of
study within itself.”
The speaker was Abraham Lin
coln. The time was September
30, 1859. The place was the agri
cultural fair held by the Wiscon
sin State Agricultural society at
Milwaukee.
Most Americans remember Lin
coln as our first martyred Presi
dent, as the Great Emancipator,
as the statesman whose principles
have stirred men everywhere.
Few, perhaps, realize what a pro
found influence Lincoln and his
administration left on the agri
culture of the United States. Yet
all his life he was a close student
of farming. He knew its needs
and foresaw the possibilities of its
advancement as few men have
done before or since. And it was
as a nationally recognized repre
sentative of the farmer and the
small town democracy he knew
so well that he was invited to
address that meeting in Mil
waukee.
These things considered, it is
not surprising that in the anguish
of the Civil war that threatened
the nation’s existence, Lincoln
found time to promote the cause
of agriculture and give it an im
petus that is felt down to this day.
Boyhood on a Farm.
Abe’s early boyhood was spent
on a farm of 30 acres near Knob
creek, about 10 miles northeast of
his birthplace at Hodgenville, Ky.
Because of the hills and gullies
only 14 acres could be cultivated.
In the fall of 1816 the Lincoln
family moved again—this time
across the Ohio river into the
heavily timbered wilderness of
southern Indiana. Here they es
tablished themselves on a knoll
surrounded by marshy, malaria
ridden fields. There was no drink
ing water within a mile. Although
Thomas Lincoln acquired an op
tion on 160 acres to be paid for
,in installments at $2 an acre, he
completed payments on only half
of this land. The elder Lincoln
continued to vary his farming and
hunting by doing occasional jobs
of carpentry. In 1824, after the
family had been in Indiana seven
years, the cultivated area of the
farm totaled only 17 acres.
Thus young Lincoln as a boy of
15 was hired out to the neighbors
to plow, hoe corn, split rails and
make fences. He also worked as
a ferryman on the Ohio river. For
this work his father received $6 a
month. During the hog-packing
season, however, he received an
additional 31 cents a day.
Once more the Lincolns pushed
westward. This time it was early
in the spring of 1830 and the fam
ily trekked to the bluffs along
the Sangamon river in Macon
county, Illinois. Reaching ma
jority soon afterward, Abraham
Lincoln bade farewell to his
family and began life for himself.
Although he left farm work be
hind as a career, Lincoln never
ceased to interest himself in ag
riculture. As a surveyor, as post
master and storekeeper at New
Salem, as a lawyer riding the
court circuit around Illinois, as a
congressman and as President he
S'—-—
continued to be a student of farm
ing and farm improvement.
When Lincoln entered the White
House, farming was being carried
on much the same as it had been
in the past half-century. Man
and horse power were still the
main reliance on the average
farm, although an impressive
start had been made toward
mechanization and improvement
of farm implements. It took
about as long to plow a Held,
plant a crop and cultivate it as it
had taken in Revolutionary war
days. This was particularly true
of the newer areas of settlement.
The reaper had been invented
about 30 years before, but its use
was by no means universal. The
steel plow had been introduced in
the late 1830s and had helped
speed the opening of the newly
settled West. The science of soil
chemistry was even more recent.
Although experiments in plant
feeding in Europe led to the es
tablishment of the modern ferti
lizer in this country in 1850, pro
duction amounted to only 20,000
tons in 1860. Today American
farmers use nearly 8,000,000 tons
annually.
Aids to Agriculture.
Soon after his inauguration,
Lincoln began throwing the
weight of his influence behind
measures that would strengthen
JUSTIN S. MORRILL
the position of agriculture and
promote its future growth. This
was sound strategy in view of
the impending Civil war. Within
a year three bills of outstanding
significance had been passed.
These were the Act Establishing
the United States Department of
Agriculture, the Homestead act,
and the Land Grant College act.
Agriculture today owes a debt to
the administration which spon
sored these acts. The progress it
has achieved in the past 75 years
would never have been possible
without them.
As early as his first message to
congress in December, 1861, Lin
coln pointed out the necessity for
a department of agriculture.
“Agriculture, confessedly the
largest interest of the nation,” he
declared, “has not a department,
nor a bureau, but a clerkship only
assigned to it in this government.
“While it is fortunate that this
great interest is so independent
in its nature as not to have de
manded or extorted more from
the government, I respectfully
ask congress to consider whether
something more cannot be volun
tarily given with general advan
tage.”
The Act Establishing the De
partment of Agriculture was the
result, and in his second annual
message the President was able
to report:
“To carry out the provisions of
the Act of Congress of May 15th
last, 1 have caused the Depart
ment of Agriculture of the United
States to be organized. The Com
missioner informs me that within
the period of a few months, this
department has established an ex
tensive system of correspondence
and exchanges both at home and
abroad which promise to effect
highly beneficial results in the de
velopment of a current knowledge
of recent improvements of agri
culture, in the introduction of new
products, and in the collection of
the agricultural statistics of the
different states. Also it will be
prepared to distribute, largely,
seeds, cereals, plants and cut
tings, and has already published
and liberally diffused much valu
able information in anticipation
of a more elaborate report which
will in due time be furnished, em
bracing some valuable tests in
chemical science now in progress
in the laboratory.”
Lincoln closed his statement
with the hope that the department
would "realize at not too distant
a day all the fondest anticipations
of its most sanguine friends and
become the fruitful source of ad
vantages to all our people.”
How prophetic was this hope is
a matter of history. Although the
department was not represented
in the cabinet with a secretary
until 1889, it proved its worth im
mediately. Today every farm
home feels its benefits. County
agents everywhere assist farmers
in improving their farm methods,
testing their soil to determine its
plant food needs, advising them
on how to increase the productiv
ity of their holdings.
The Homestead Act.
Another milestone in agricul
tural development was the Home
stead act, signed by President
Lincoln on May 20, 1862. During
the course of its operation nearly |
250,000,000 acres of public domain
have been thrown open to private
farm ownership.
Instead of requiring the pay-1
ment of $1.25 or more per acre,
the Homestead act gave 160 acres
free to every settler who would
live on it for five years. Set
tlers rushed into the new lands,
and while the Civil war was still
in progress 2,500,000 acres were
thus given away. This created
more than 15,000 farms of 160
acres each. New railroads were
built to link the western farm
lands with the eastern markets.
The new crops helped feed the
Union armies, furnish fibers and
raw materials to factories, and
provided an exportable surplus
which built a profitable trade with
Europe.
Most important step in aiding
the cause of scientific agriculture
was the Morrill act, or Land
Grant College act, named for
Justin S. Morrill, representative
in congress and afterwards sena
tor from Vermont. Signed by
President Lincoln on July 2, 1862,
this law gave to each state as
many times 30,000 acres of public
land as it had senators and rep
resentatives. This land was to
provide funds for the establish
ment and support of a “college of
agriculture and mechanical arts.”
The far-flung system of agricul
tural colleges in every state of
the Union today owes its exist
ence to this act. These colleges
are a powerful factor in discover
ing new facts concerning the soil,
its needs, crop and live stock im
provement and better farming
methods. Not only do these col
leges educate young men to apply
these facts and methods in actual
farm work, but agronomists and
soil scientists are continually car
rying on experiments with crops,
soils and fertilizers in their
| states. As a result of their work,
the average farmer can have the
benefit of expert and practical ad
vice in preparing his soil for prof
itable crop production. Many of
these colleges provide recom
mendations for fertilizer grades
best adapted to the needs of a
farmer’s soils and crops after a
test has established the necessity
for nitrogen, phosphorus and pot
ash.
“Lincoln’s contributions to the |
development of agriculture,” said
an official of the Middle West Soil
Improvement committee recent-1
ly, "stand as much a monument
to his greatness as any of his oth
er achievements during his presi
dency. It was astounding that
under the stress of war and de
struction he could have sponsored
and supported measures that
would have such epochal conse
auences to our develoDment.”
Tonsil Removal
Doesn’t Always
Prevent Colds
By DR. JAMES W. BARTON
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
WHEN a youngster has
frequent colds, parents
may feel that removal of the
tonsils might prevent these
colds. Experi
ence has amply
proven that the
removal of ton
sils does not
prevent colds
except in some cases where
the cold always begins with a
sore throat.
There is present throughout the
world today a feeling that tonsils
Dr. Barton
should not be re
moved unless it can
be definitely shown
that they are to
blame for the symp
toms present. Thus
in the Hospital for
Sick Children, Lon
don, 2,729 operations
for removal of ton
sils were performed
in 1938, as compared
with 4,730 operations
in 1930.
In discussing the
removal ef tonsils and adenoids. Sir
Lancelot Barrington-Ward at the
Royal Society of Medicine, said that
the tonsil was in his experience much
the more dangerous element. The
structure of the tonsil allowed or
ganisms to remain dormant or
quiet, but nevertheless active, lead
ing to chronic general poisoning or
the system or flare-up into acute in
flammation from time to time.
Adenoids, on the other hand, act
ed simply as an obstruction to the
breathing or by a low grade infec
tion causing inflammation of the ear
or the glands in the neck.
Size Not Important.
In discussing tonsils it was stated
that large tonsils might not be sep
tic (pouring poison into the blood
stream) and septic tonsils might not
be large. Mere size is not impor
tant unless it is causing obstruction.
How can it be known that a tonsil
or tonsils are septic? The appear
ance doesn’t tell much, but if there
are certain noticeable conditions the
physician usually decides to have
the tonsils removed.
1. Repeated attacks of tonsilitis
which can only be stopped by re
moving the tonsils.
2. Chronic or persistent enlarge
ment of the upper deep gland of
neck, without enlargement of the
other glands, always means infec
tion of the tonsils.
3. Middle ear diseases followed by
mastoid infection and deafness is
due to infection from tonsil and ade
noid in most cases.
Infected tonsils should be removed
when there is a history of rheuma
tism accompanied by heart disease
or chorea-St. Vitus’ dance.
• • *
Facts Regarding
Angina Pectoris
A NGINA pectoris—breast pang
** not only frightens the patient
but frightens the entire family, as
these “heart attacks” are distress
ing to endure and even to watch.
There is a strangling, vise-like pain
in the chest over the heart or under
the breast bone which is brought on
by physical effort (exercise) or emo
tional disturbance. It lasts but a
short time, during which the patient
stands in whatever position he hap
pens to be in at the time and as he
stands he has the feeling that if he
makes the slightest move it may be
his last.
Angina pectoris is often eaused by
the heart muscle ithe muscle which
pumps the blood from the heart to
all parts of the body) not receiving
enough blood from the little blood
vessels which supply the heart mus
cle with blood from the general sup
ply as it circulates throughout the
body. Naturally, if the heart
muscle does not get enough pure
blood it cannot work, that is, pump
the blood from the heart to all parts
of the body, and so no movement is
made by the patient to make the
heart muscle do any work until it
gets a little more pure blood into
it with which to continue work.
These attacks of angina pectoris
are really "life savers” because the
individual learns what is likely to
bring on an attack—heavy work, ex
citement, a fit of anger or other
emotional disturbance—and so by
living carefully he is enabled to live
a useful and often a long life.
Most angina patients carry little
pearls (thin glass tubes) of amyl
nitrite, that can be easily broken in
a handkerchief and inhaled, which
soon ends the attack.
* • •
Ql’ESTION box
Q.—Please suggest another treat- I
ment other than Whitfield’s oint- f
ment for athlete’s foot.
A.—The symptoms are those of
athlete’s foot—ringworm of the feet
—as your physician has pointed out.
It is called eczematoid ringworm of
the feet. Whitfield's ointment half
strength is considered excellent
treatment. The dusting powder pre
scribed by your physician is likely
sodium thiosulphate 1 part to 4
parts boracic acid.
Children’s Clothes Come First
On 1941 Spring Sewing Program
By CHEBIE NICHOLAS
MOTHERS attention! With the
coming of spring, every little
girl wants a smart new dress to
wear. So it's high time for mothers
to lay plans for the annual sewing
campaign. It is none too early to
start investigating the smart new
pastel plaids, the denims, shantungs
and challis that are favorites for
juvenile fashions this spring. You
will be surprised how little really
lovely materials cost. For a dollar,
or even less, it is possible to buy 2V4
yards or more of good-looking rayon
challis. With a modern sewing ma
chine, just a few hours are needed
to produce an attractive sailor dress
or a plaid bolero dress or a smart
princess style, exactly suited to
daughter’s personality.
Even if the budget is slim and you
haven’t had experience at sewing,
there is no excuse for making daugh
ter do without good-looking clothes.
You can learn to do a professional
job of dressmaking by spending just
a few afternoons at your local sew
ing center.
Nowadays, even the couturier fin
ishes are easy for beginners to han
dle, because modern sewing ma
chine attachments make pleating,
ruffling, tucking, cording and appli
que, besides tl\e dozens of other
“neat tricks’’ they perform.
Certain to win the heart of every
young “miss” is the favorite bolero
suit-dress in cotton plaid with sep
arate tuck-in blouse as shown to
the left in the picture. The plaid,
the all-round pleated skirt and the
cute felt derby hat with a little red
feather have a look about them that
will delight the heart of a child. You
can get inexpensive washable plaids
that look like fine wool weave, or, if
you prefer, there are handsome 100
per cent wool clan plaids to be had
at little additional cost. Plaid ging
ham is smart, too.
The advantage of a two-piece
dress of this type is that different
blouses can be worn with it, also the
separate bolero gives it the efficien
cy of a jacket suit. The Peter Pan
collar and front closing on the blouse
are embellished with inch-wide ruf
fles, done in a jiffy with the ruffler
gadget on your machine. The very
crisp pleats in the skirt take a
mere matter of minutes to make
with the pleater attachment. All
the other deft finishes, such as the
curving edges of the bolero front,
is the unerring work of the little
edge stitcher.
See the newest version of the ever
beloved sailor dress illustrated to
the right in the group. Use navy
flannel or serge or try ordinary blue
denim for this dress; and you will
henceforth be singing the praises
of this sturdy good-looking material.
The important-looking red embroid
ered anchor insignia on the long
bishop sleeve is made with a darn
ing stitch and transfer pattern right.
You can easily monogram daugh
ter’s blouses, scarfs and ‘‘nighties’’
and pajama sets on the sewing ma
chine, to the utter delight of yftur
child. A separate white pique col
lar is enhanced with eighth-inch-wide
braid, attached with the blind-stitch
braider gadget in no time at all.
A perfect princess dress of chal
lis (centered in the group) is but
toned all the way down the front
with tiny buttons and buttonholes,
easily made with the buttonhole at
tachment on the machine. Cunning
ly tipped patch pockets are perched j
high on the dress lending both an
ornamental and useful note. Spun
rayon prints or the new printed jer
seys make up satisfactorily in the
simple princess frocks.
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
Glamour Jewels
Tales of the jewelry treasures that
are sojourning in America at pres
ent sound like fairy stories for
grown-ups. Many aristocratic refu
gees from Europe brought vast for
tunes in diamonds to this country.
At the moment we have with us the
opals of Queen Victoria, the emer
ald that Napoleon gave to Marie
Louise (now set in a diamond neck
lace), ana a brooch made for Franz
Josef of Austria to present to his
precious "Kathi.” Pictured here
with is a Russian, handpainted fan
set in diamond-studded sticks, which
was the nuptial gift of a grand
duchess. The diamond bracelet and
ring worn on the outside of the glove
in the continental manner is of mod
em design. The formal white satin
gown shows an embroidered pattern
| of gold thread and brilliants.
American Gloves
Wash Beautifully
American-made gloves, doeskins,
suedes and mochas wash beautiful
ly, and here’s the way it is done—
exactly the way our manufacturers
of leather gloves tell everyone to
wash them.
Make a bowlful of good thick suds
with lukewarm water and a pure
mild soap or soap kakes, being sure
that every bit of the flakes is dis
solved. Then putting on the gloves,
wash them just as though you were
washing your hands. Next rinse
them in clear lukewarm water and
then make another bowlful of lighter
suds for the final time. If they hap
pen to be glace-finished gloves, cape
skin or pigskin, the final rinse should
be clear, cool water instead of soapy
water.
Rolling and coaxingly pushing the
gloves off your hands, put them in
a turkish towel, pressing out the ex
cess moisture. Then stretch out
the fingers a bit, blow in the gloves
and lay them on a turkish towel to
dry—never on a radiator or other
hot surface. Just before they are
dry, finger press them, working the
leather, especially inside the gloves,
with your fingers so as to make it
soft and pliable.
And that’s all there is to it! You
can even wash your colored gloves
if the leathers have been tanned in
this country. Put a teaspoon of vine
gar in each basin of water as this
helps keep the color. Some of the
color may bleed out, but if your
gloves are not badly soiled, so that
you can wash them quickly, the
amount of color that comes out
won’t make any difference and it
will not be streaked.
Just one warning! Don't ever rub
soap on your gloves. And don t use
a brush on soiled spots as this roughs
1 the leather.
_CREMATION
FOREST LAWN CEMETERY
• OMAHA •
CREMATION
of the most modem type
Write to us fox booklet
HAIR TREATMENT_
Hair Conditioning Shampoo
Cleans scalp and hair properly. Removes
dandruff scales. Conditions for permanent
wave or bleach. Sent postpaid for 50c or
COD Luke Co., 2036 S. Michigan, Chicago.
Jerkin, Hat Can Be
Knit in Quick Time
pHIS jiffy knit jerkin and match
* ing beanie, such practical as
sets, are quickly made in German
town yarn. Pattern 2695 contains
directions for knitted hat and
jerkin in sizes 12-14 and 16-18; il
lustrations of them and stitches;
materials required.
* * *
Send 15 cents in coins for this pattern
to Tlie Sewing Circle Needlccraft Dept.,
82 Eighth Ave., New York, N. Y. Send
order to:
Sewing Circle Needlecraft Dept.
82 Eighth Ave. New York
Enclose 15 cents in coins for Pat
tern No.
Name .
Address .
Pull the Trigger on
Lazy Bowels, and
Comfort Stomach, too
When constipation brings on acid in
digestion, stomach upset, bloating, dizzy
spells, gas, coated tongue, sour taste and
bad breath, your stomach is probably
“crying the blues” because your bowels
don’t move. It calls for Laxative-Senna
to pull the trigger on those lazy bowels,
combined with Syrup Pepsin to save
your touchy stomach from further dis
tress. For years, many Doctors have used
pepsin compounds as vehicles, or car
riers to make other medicines agreeable
to your stomach. So be sure your laxa
tive contains Syrup Pepsin. Insist on
Dr. Caldwell’s Laxative Senna combined
with Syrup Pepsin. See how wonderfully
the Laxative Senna wakes up lazy nerves
and muscles in your intestines to bring
welcome relief from constipation. And
the good old Syrup Pepsin makes this
laxative so comfortable and easy on
your stomach. Even finicky'’children
love the taste of this pleasant family
laxative. Buy Dr. Caldwell’s Laxative
Senna at your druggist today. Try one
laxative that comforts your stomach, too.
05«r Wiue a or *»fal tt.
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