---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - George W. Crocheron
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 7
number: 2
published: 1903-12
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'George W. Crocheron, "Self-Control. A Poem", *Improvement Era* 7, no. 2 (December 1903): 123.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0702unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera0702unse
start_page: 123
end_page: 123
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1903-12)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0702unse
  publication_year: 1903
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1903, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Self-Control. A Poem

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—

                  AGRICULTURE AS A*PROFESSION.                          123


the purpse of the soil mulch and           when should it be established?
These are farm operations requiring the highest order of            intelli-

gence for their successful solution.           In the operation of plowing
alone, the      questions   involved    are   numerous.   What will be the
effect on the soil moisture, on the loss or gain of plant food, on the
temperature of the soil, on       its   storage capacity, the effect of a
more thorough aeration, of a more rapid nitrification, etc? These
are   questions    the   answer for which can only be found in an
intimate knowledge of the soil.
      Fifteen years ago, from       five   to twenty percent of the butter
fat was lost in the skim milk, and five to ten percent more in the
butter-milk.      Scientific methods have been brought to bear on the
handling     of milk, and this loss has been almost entirely checked.
In seeding grasses and cereals, in feeding live stock, in applying
fertilizers to the soil, in fact, in all farm operations we    have an op-
portunity to adopt scientific methods, and instances are on record
where the adoption of these methods has saved thousands of dol-
lars to the farmer.
      It is hoped that in    the above, sufficient evidence is presented
to establish the fact that agriculture is a profession.       It is worthy

of the best efforts of the brightest minds among the         young men of
our communities.   With this thought in view, let us strive faith-
fully to work in harmony with nature's mode of action, and the
bars which guard the wealth of soil and the accumulation of man's
toil will fly   open at our bidding.



                             SELF-CONTROL.
                   Check the tongue and curb the temper,
                     When passion-storm is wont to rise;
                   You will then defeat the Tempter
                     And learn the joy of being wise.

                   Hold no malice 'gainst another,
                      Whate'er the provocation be,
                   Come it from a sister brother;
                      Learn to have true charity.
                                                   George W. Crocheron.