Farming is the chosen way of life than twenty six million Americans.
The love of the land has been passed on from father to son from mother to daughter
and generations of bond families have created a tradition that is
that the rights of our national life with nearly six million American families
living on fire.
It is only natural
that the well being of our country is founded on the prosperity of the American
farmer when the farmers are doing well.
The people in our cities are prospering too.
Because anything that contributes to better farming is good for the whole country.
America's progressive all industry has long been deeply interested in the bombers
problem a good example of this interest is the part the oil companies play in
developing the use of power on the land from their refineries come over again to
meet the special needs of our farm in their laboratories I develop an ever
increasing number of the Polian chemicals for plant growth Plant Protection
and good soil management.
They work with colleges and universities on the improvement of product
and on getting product information to the farmers they make it convenient for the
bomber to buy fuels and low broken by delivering them to his door
and over the years power in agriculture has so revolutionized life on the bomb
that the span of time between one thousand nine hundred
and today might just as well be reckoned in centuries as in years.
This is the stuff. Three of those centuries.
They were lived on one by the Salter by.
It's now almost fifty years since my father John Salter brought his bride Mary
Fremont daughter to the farm that's been our family home for half a century.
They were an ordinary couple My parents whose lives would be quite forgotten now.
Except that during all those years.
They kept the records of the everyday events on the farm.
I'd been reading their journal all over again tonight
and I found there in the earth the phrases of John
and Mary saw as fascinating an American story as I've read in many you
the story begins with an entry dated June fifteenth one thousand nine hundred
but my right to the right amount of the show Larry a little
less than welcome to your new home
you.
I'm so happy.
Even on your first day home like I always have to be male.
I'm glad you
like it
and those early years of my parents' married
life read like happy ones
but they had their misfortunes to shine.
She bent.
On like twelve eighteen. How much it takes for one.
Give you one hundred feet or if morning one Saturday John.
But I know you're in trouble make it one twenty five.
And so they are down yet.
Your prophet said a hundred thousand new you know
one that ain't bad enough not to waste a whole day when I shouldn't get mad.
Hey
and the
next day's entry in the diary is but a single sentence.
July ninth one thousand nine hundred eighty one.
As the years went by some of the isolation of farm life gradually disappeared.
Sound of one thousand nine hundred ten our time to change.
The day
but here we have
imagined something lying about it in the day where.
Those years when I was growing up were good years for John and Mary Salter
but they were not easy years.
Wowing desking cultivated they were backed by
the amount of land a man detailed. Limited by physical endurance.
We grew enough to supply our own
chickens.
He was a genius in the kitchen
but there was a great deal left the South Africa
but there was Johnson there dug down fifteen miles west of us all day trip over a
bad road and at the end of the year.
It wasn't often the journal showed much of a net profit. Well that's it.
Not rich exactly
but we did better than before.
No not quite enough.
What we could do if I had that tract and now that we've got more land.
Can we afford it just.
So many others look Mary it's like this
when you buy a tractor you get something actually manufactured then come.
You don't make the money for us to buy the thing.
A new hat for you and a lot of things.
Well I can't wait for
that it was several more years before I could
fulfill his ambition and
when he finally did his prediction came true in the first ten.
Once he had his first tractor John saw there was impatient to make the most of it
falling. It was one of the very first jobs
that could take advantage of the new pony farm implements were rapidly being
redesigned for use with tractor John saw there was the first man in the county do
it.
Mauling with mechanical power with the Mars to speed up his ground work with the power.
Some of the neighbors got down to what they came to watch. Nonetheless.
And then the follow his example the first to use tractor power for planting seeds.
It was the first of all a side delivery rang with his tractor he was the first to
use his tractor a stationary power to run easy grinding on Salter
had a very good reason for being enthusiastic about our farm in the old days of
horses
and muscle it had been a struggle to produce enough was bammy with a little bit
left over to sell power had let him increases production to such an extent
that he could easily supplies only have a sizeable surplus to sell on the market
using power in many ways
that put real cash profits in defining So it was only natural
that John saw I welcome.
Anything new in our final.
To show you like you're getting in that new attracted you.
Out of your tractor Henry. I'm going to use. Gasoline. I'll get more power.
That's all I want to know what you're getting at is interesting. Look here.
And the other tractor you had a pressure on the fuel mixture as the piston squeezes
it maybe ninety five pounds per square inch
and the spark ignites a mixture the pressure rises to say three hundred eighty
pounds on the power stroke.
And your new high compression tractor the mixture squeezed tighter into a smaller
space. The pressure may be as high as one hundred forty five pounds.
On the mixed years agoo knighted the pressure on the power stroke may rise to five
hundred eighty pounds.
This big difference in pressure on the power stroke is the reason for all the extra
power All right. Henry all right.
I still say I'm getting more power and that's all I care about with all
that extra power from high compression
and still more power from those new rubber tires.
Why I left power to back you think you're kidding. John Henry.
I'm not getting.
Nobody appreciates more than I do what pollen means to us from a that's what Dad
used to say about you John. Your dad knew because he saw me my first tractor.
I don't with him for years.
Anytime you or anyone else can show me how to get more power.
Listen Henry Selick SR.
When he said anyone else.
John saw there probably was thinking of another good friend
and adviser who called on him.
Well I write down.
Only when gasoline on this is so much.
I want something here.
OK. Anything else. Yes. I want you to look at the Pitman bearing in my mouth.
It's going grease. Maybe you can tell me what's wrong.
Sound like using the wrong kind. Maybe or a different Greece will fix it up.
Let's take a look. Come on down to the shack.
In contrast to the old days
when he drove to towns like tractor fuel Johnson water now had such supplies
delivered to his door and the tank wagon driver had become a friend an advisor
and homey
and confidence as he himself said Johnson
and I was quick to seize anything that would give more power better performance
and greater economy.
And more than one farmer in our county was grateful to him for his enterprise.
This modest entry made July second one hundred forty only hints at the real story.
Now Tom Maloney.
We interrupt this program to bring you a special announcement from the weather be.
Severe wind and rain storm is expected to reach this vicinity about noon tomorrow.
Lucky with my last storm.
I was thinking of only a couple.
Let's go to the
one
that has you
know who
got it over the radio. Tom big storm coming up. Thanks John.
And you just make sure.
You.
Who.
Well John and Mary saw the story and soon after
that I have only. Done so it's there.
It carries on not only on our farm but throughout the whole county
and even further.
It was he would encourage ten regard to buy
that for a child history's never regretted owning.
It was largely responsible for George Baker's getting the terrorists
that helped him retain the sort of wherever he went he preached the story of Power
Hour because it would do more work in less time. Into power.
And given him more cash crops to sell and he wanted his friends
and neighbors to profit also who he was a leader in conservation farming
and he knew that power is the essence of efficient soil management time
and again I have heard him say if a man can do it in a day a machine can do it in
an hour.
And then he probably do it on sight better do.
I think maybe the reason he was such a booster for machines was
that he loved firemen who. The time was.
If our country was going to continue to prosper
and people were to enjoy a higher standard of living which is the basis of our
economy to become more profitable.
I guess it was appropriate that that entry was addressed to me.
After it was done.
Farming is a good. Good way of living. But you can't stand still remember that.
The biggest thing that's happened to farming in my lifetime is the introduction of
mechanical power
that helped us grow crops take better care of our land make more money
but we've only started to use power.
I get even guess at all the ways it's going to help you but I'm sure of one thing.
You're going to have a richer life because of it. It's up to you.
Younger fellows to carry given you a pattern for progress.