The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-11-20

to lodge. If the manure is distribu-
ted from the cart as hauled out, these
objections are done away with.
There is no delay of the spring work,
even for the time that would be re-
quired to spread the piles, aud the
soil is in better condition for the crop
by reason of having had the manure
on it during the winter, trOtting and
incorporating its elements with the
earth. Even old manure, freshly
spread upon the land Just at blowing
or planting, is not sufficiently quick
in its acting to be of use IN starting
the crop off well but il it has been
upon the land, rotting and teaching
down into it during the winter, it is
all ready to become at Ouce available.
Through the Grange, the Alliance
and through farmers clubs of every
sort the principles of cooperation
might easily be practically applied.
II would be we'll to begin on a small
scale, in order to test the matter care
fully before undertaking any very
large schemes. We would suggest
that some one member, VINO has good
business qualifications, be selected to
canvass among the members of the
club and ascertain their especial wants
Then make up list of staple articles,
such as -four, coffee, tea and other
groceries of staple quality and de-
finite brand: of dry goods, such "a
sheetings, denims aud fabrics, and Of
other articles of common cOnsump
ton. Find out definitely the amount
of each that is wanted, and then let
him negotiate with dealers for the
entire supply. or course, the pur-
chase must be for cash, and by buy
ing for cash and in such quantity
almost any merchant would be glad
to give q liberal discount. This
would be much better than to- attempt
to start q cooperative store, at least
for a time and until the club became
accustomed to cab buying, and
would result in a considerable saving
on the purchase of such staple goods
- are needed in every household
Local merchants would be glad to
encourage movements of this sort,
and their would probably be no need
of looking far for field in order to
procure satisfactory prices.
A wise man once said that agricul-
ture embraces almost the sum OF hu-
man knowledge, and that q youth
once initiated into reading its A. b.
G., could not fail to be interested ever
after. Notwithstanding this esti-
mate, in which we believe many we'll
Informed people will concur, it has
wholly been kept out of the line OF
instruction in our common SCHOOLS,
and in many of our protested schools
of agriculture it has been crowded to
make room for classical and literary
courses. In contrast with these, the
Michigan Agricultural College, the
agricultural department of Cornell
University, and one or two other in
situations are worthy of special COM
mendation for the manner in which
thew have kept agriculture 10 the
fore. At the Michigan college stu
dent farm labor is largely employed,
and is devoted to experiments on
pIats and the practical work OF the
college farms aud gardens. In the
plat experiments each student is
given some es, ecial line of work, for
which lie must be responsible from
seed time to harvest. Original in
vestigati0n is encouraged, as, for in
stance, taking up the study OF flax
cultivation, about which the college
authorities had little practical knowl-
edge, but, information being desired,
the whole matter was put into the
hands of a student for investigation
aud experimentation, and at the end
of the season he and his plats told the
story together. When the agricul-
tural colleges work upon such a plan
they are fulfilling the object for
which they are founded.
In planting fruit trees or small fruit
plants, or even when setting out a
large quantity of tobacco, cabbage,
tomato or other plants, it is conyenr
lent to know how many will be re-
nuireI to the acre il set at certain
distances apart. The following table
will give the number of plants when
set at an equal distance apart . lch
way; One foot apart each way, 1850