Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-07-23
Maryland Agricultural College.

constituency have evinced an interest in its
work by personal visits to the college, and
by correspondence on the many topics which
affect the material success of the agriculture
Ist's life.
First, as usual we have had year in which
much of advancement has been made. The
Department of Farmers Institutes has reach
ed every county in the State with graft
flying results. In each county one institute
| has been held and in several of them two
Much favorable comment has been made upon
the work, and in many instances much good
has been done. With the first year over, and
the garuered experiences resulting therefrom
there can be little doubt that the next year
will be in advance of the last. The need of
"well done" is due W. l.. Amoss, the Dr.
rector of this department of the college.
| The Department of State Entomology has
attracted much attention under its able chief,
Prof. W. G. johnson. The past year was his
first year amongst US, and by his energy,
zeal and ability he has gained conversancy
with the State and its interest along the line
of his work which emphasizes in q marked
degree his peculiar fitness for his position
He has the State now well in hand so tar as
his knowledge of its needs is concerned, and
already the farmers are beginning to reap
| the result of his labor amongst us. His SER
| vices are at the command of all needing help
in warning against the many insect depreda-
lions which at present are sapping the result
of the best directed efforts Of our most pro-
gressiVe farmers.
The Department of Experiment Station
work, under Director Rob't H. Miller, claims
much attention, and the farmers of the State
of Maryland are fully realizing that an ex-
| pertinent station in their midst is an instTu-
ment of great good to them.
| Prof. Patterson In the line of his Dairy
Department, his Tobacco experiments, from
the plant bed to the packed product, his
work in plant and animal nutrition, his dem
onstration that the waste products on the
average farm in Maryland can we'll account
| for the difference between profit and loss
These and many other lines of work claim
the closest attention of those who feel the
pinch of necessity, for taking advantage of
| every means at hand to tide over these troub
lous times, TO the beginning OF an era of in
telligent and progressive agriculture. The
dawning of this era is upon us. Its effect Is
fully felt in the West and North The East
and South are just beginning 10 realize what
ii means to them.
| is evident. Much appreciation is shown of
that feature Of the same which is known as
the Estate Fertilizer Control" Eight hun
dred samples are now collected, analysed and
published in the form of two bulletins, July
and February The farmer who buys his
plant food now without the use OF these bull
letins is certainly neglecting an aid which he
should avail himself of. These are his for the
asking. The new Chemical Laboratory will
greatly facilitate the work devOlving upon
| this department. Its construction is a want
long felt and the State is TO be congratulated
upon this addition to its plant.
! Provision has been at last made for the
construction of a barn to suitably acc0mmO-
date the agricultural interests here conferred.
| Plans have been drawn and an early Begin
ming will be made upon It's co Instruction. II
is to be circular in form and will be fitted up
with appliances for the proper care of stock,
1t will be two stories with central silo for
| furnishing slage of different kinds. There
can no longer be any doubt of the import
ance of silage in that department OF farming
known as Stock Raising or Feeding There
are many problems connected with the sub
| ject which need the closest attention OF scen-
ti6c men. There is a point in the growth Of
every green crop when it presents to the hus-
bandman its maximum Of value for the re-
suits he wants to accomplish. The corn
crop is claimed by some as the prince of plants
for this purpose. To my mind this is u ques-
tlouable proposition-one that will need much
examination and close study. We all know
that it will produce more Of weight per acre
than anything we can plant. This is not the
day of quantity but of qudiity, and when
| fill my silo | want IL to contain q nicely ad-
justed ration for the stock am feeding, with
due consideration for the ends have in view.
This is perfectly possible condition of
things This problem will have attention
aud something definite will be eventually
obtained.
During the past year we have had as many
students as we could well accommodate.
The college is growing in public favor more
and more each year. We regret to find that
so few farmers sons are preparing themselves
for an intelligent practice of the pr ofesson
to which they expect TO devote their lives
In whatever community you may go you will
surely find that where intelligence and energy
direct the work the labor is not Ia vain -
The formers OF Maryland have an excellent
opportunity to educate that boy who is TO
take up the work he will eventually lay
down, then why not educate him with as
much care as If he were going to take any
other profession. To successfully farm to-
day more information is needed along more
lines than in any other of the vocations OF
man. This realization must come to us II
success is to crown our efforts.
The Mechanical Department of the college
is now well equipped, and many OF the stu
dents are awaiting themselves of the oppor-
tunity it affords to become first class mechan-
cal engineers The work is undertaken at
the very foundation. The student familiar
ICES himself with work in wood, thus becOm-
ing first.c class model maker. He then un-
dertakes work in iron by the agencies of the
forge, blast furnace, chipping, filing, planes
and lathes. After four years course he is
competent to enter and direct the work in
any large machine plant
The Agricultural Department takes up the
subject of agriculture from both the theoret-
icai and practical standpoint Ia the section
room the subject of soils, plant growth, nuiri-
ton, in both the vegetable and animal
kingdom and the various divisions OF the
agricultural profession. When we realize
the fact that for the most part in our opera
tons we are moved by the crudest methods in
plant or animal culture, plant or aaimal nu
triton, plant or animal saving, plant or AMI
NAL marketing, we can get some sort of an
idea of the cause for the present outward
circumstances which Cypress us. This can
only be averted when we take advantage
of every means at our command to gain
That information which will enable us TO
eliminate the errors which saturate Our pro-
cesses. Every tobacco planter knows that
something should be done to enable him TO
control to greater extent the Gu ring of his
tobacco crop after he has spent SO much Of
his vital energies on its production. That
such result is possible is manifest from the |
experiments now being conducted at tn col |
lege on this very important topic. The point
hasbeen reached where upon unfavorable soils |
80 per cent. Of the crop can be obtained of
the best quality and condition. This is not |
enough the work will be continued until q |
point between 80 to 100 per cent s obtained,
or even greater. In this day Of advanced in
teligence, where every effort among US is be-
Jog strained to attain every possible fact that |
adds to a mans power TO more successfully |
direct the the forces he is trying to control,
in
ment of our work is filled with difficulties
which unaided native wit cannot cope with.
Science must be our coadjutor if we wish to |
be in the vanguard of the worlds progress
in our profession. You must give your sons
a special fitness for their work if they are to |
take your places, and wish for any measure
OF success in their lifes work.