The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-06-02

Weld OF mixed hay. clover and timothy
was 400 pounds per acre. that OF corn
was 6l12. The food yield OF the corn
was 4.5s4 pounds. while that Of the other
crops mentioned was each below 1000
pounds These figures. said Professor
Alvord, were made up from different
States. and In Virginia were below the
truth. He asserted that corn yielded more
nu,riment to the space planted than any
other crop.
FOOD VALUE OF CORN.
The speaker next took up the food
value OF corn a; various stages I'm its
growth. lie spoke of the practice Of cut
ting the crop for onsllage so prevalent
some years ago. and said that by so do
ing nearly half the food value was lost.
There is a plain lesson in this for farm
ors. he said. II is: Don'nt cut your corn
too early. Let IL stand until the blade is
pretty dry. You may seem 10 lose In
bulk but you really gain largely in nu-
trimcnt The speaker showed by fig
urcs that there was more nutriment I'm
the stalks OF corn than in the ears and
said that there was great waste IN Vlr-
rlnia hy leaving the stalks standing IN
tho field. He contended that by harvest
ing the corn in what Is known as good
season in Virginia more than half a
ton an acre Of food was lost.
The next point taken up by Professor
Alvord was the wasteful method Of har-
vesting corn i'm vogue all over the coun-
try. There were. he said. three ways.
Tho first was cutting the plantn off at
the bottom. the second topping and strip
ping. and the last pulling the ear. and
leaving all tho rest In the field The
only proper way. he insisted. was 20
cut the plant off AZ the bottom. All other
ways were very wasteful.
Professor Alvord's lecture was instruc-
tive I'm a hish degree and showed deep
and thorough research into every aspect
and quality OF forage crops
GOOD ROADS.
At the conclusion Of Professor Alwoods
speech a recess was taken until $3.50
o'clock. when Dir. II. W. Anderson sec
rotary Of the Virginia Good-Roads Assoc
citation. delivered a fine address on the
subject of good roads. Alr. Anderson
gave a short sketch OF the formation OF
the GO09-Roads Association Of Virginia,
which he said was founded In patriotism.
The great question Of transportation. he
said. was Of vital interest 10 the com
merce OF the country. II was one of
the ways and a very important one. in
which the necessities Of life could be
chcapened. He illustrated this point by cit
ing instances Of how the price Of wheat. was
affected by the size Of the load hauled by
the farmer 10 market.
Bad roads, he said. were also RESPONSE
bic for decrease In the value Of land, and
for damages TO vehicles and teams. The
speaker said that while the loss occasion
ed By bad roads fell principally upon the
farmer. II was also borne by the city
merchant For where city was COM
PEELED 10 buy the products Of the sur
rounding farmers. these tillers Of the soil
made the commerce bear the extra cost
Of handling. General Roger Stone.
said Mr.. Anderson. has estimated that
the cost OF handling in Virginia could be
reduced by two-thirds by the establish
ment Of good roads.
SOME OF THEIR EFFORTS.
The speaker then touched upon roads
as related 10 immigration. and declared
that bad roads We're an important factor
in keeping people out Of the State. An
other point brought out by Mr.. Anderson
was that the effect Of bad roads was 10
drive young men from the country to the
city. where they could attend schools
and church, and enjoy social intercourse,
and where they were generally worse Off.
In regard 10 the Improvements of the
roads. the speaker took the position that
il was a business proposition that would
richly repay the people in the money
saved. After declaring that the roads
Of Virginia were disgrace TO any State
that called itself civilized, Mr.. Anderson
said that the next thing was 70 find
remedy. Much money had been spent,
ne said. IT was now time to spend some
intelligence.
Get in intelligent men and improved
machinery. and the rest was easy.
Mr.. AndersOn's speech was enthusi-s-
tic and strongly reinforced by figures. He
received general applause. A short ad-
dress was also delivered by Mr.. J. +.
Jackson.
TO-DAY'S EXERCISES.
Addresses will be delivered tomorrow
by Mr.. D. +. Massey, of
the Raleigh u. c. Experiment Sta
ton: Professor Weghtman. OF Randolph
Macon College; j. +. Jackson. editor Of
Southern Planter; l.. b. Vaughan and
Ashton Sfarke. of Richmond, and Judge
Charles Grattan. Of stanton. The insti-
tute will close tomorrow night.
An address Will also be delivered by
c. W. Dabney, Assistant Secretary of
Agriculture of the United States.