St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-11-12
FARMER ANDPLANTER.
THOUGHTS FOR FARMERS.
Model Farms aud Experiment Stations
Local Farmer Clubs, EAEmerS'
lnatltutoa

In each and every county through
out our heayen-blest sunny southland
there should be at least one farm that
should be recognized by every rural
resident of that individual county as
a model farm; a farm conducted on
economical and comon sense princi-
pies, and that should serve rs an OBJ
ject lesson for the farmers of that
county.
This model farm should not be sup
ported by an annual appropriation
from either the state or national gov
ernments, but should be made self
sustaining from it's very inception
with this single exception-that a
skiIlful and progressive farmer should
be in charge of it, and fertilizers
should be furnished to him free of
cost for the first, second, and possibly
the third year, and u salary paid the
farmer himself commensurate with
the importance of the work in which
he is engaged.
perimental farm in the most compre-
hensive meaning of the term, yet
everything about it shoul be intensely
practical. Mr.. John NJ. Claiborne, i'm
the August IL issue of Texas Farm
and Ranch, says there should be an
experimental station in the coast coun-
try, in the Panhandle, in east Texas,
and in north Texas. We will go far
ther than that gentleman, and say that
an experimental farm (not station)
should be brought into being in each
and every county in the state. AS
that gentleman says, object lessons
are the best mode of instructions;
hence the necessity for an object les
son in every county. so that all can
see. We don't need any more expert
mental stations. but we do need, and
need them badly, more experimental
farms, where the more scientific teach
ings of the stations may be reduced to
practice.
Next in value, rs q source of educa-
tion for the average farmer, we will
place local farmers clubs, and in con-
nection with said clubs, prize crops.
Nothing is better for any farming
community than the promotion of
friendly rivalry, wholesome spirit of
emulation among the farmers of that
community; and we know of no better
way of bringing about this friendly
rivalry than for the farmers them
selves to meet together at regular
stated intervals and devise ways and
ry,n h1r r.
raised for the special purpose of of-
fering prizes for the best acre, or five
acres, or ten acres, of corn, wheat
oats. grass. hay, rye, Irish potatoes,
sweet potatoes, melons, peanuts, or
even cotton.
Next to farmers clubs. as an educa-
tional feature, we would place the agri-
cultural press of the country. We con-
slider it superf1uous for us to state
that it is just as important for the
farmer to read up and study his busi-
ness as it is for n doctor to study his
the lawyer 10 study law, the
preacher to study Gods Word, or our
magnatt. the laws govern
ing supply and demand, exchange, etc.
This study on the part of the farmer is
not only just as important, but it is
also just as profitable and just as in
evitably essential.
Next to farm journals, experiment
station bulletins and farm literature
fill quite an important niche
in the educational superstructure.
After raising one or two prize crops,
the county fair will follow as matter
of course. 1t will be found one of the
Last ON the list We will place farm
ers' Institutes. We wish we could |
place it first, but, unfortunately,
we can not. Why not? Because farm
ers' institutes rarely reach the ones it
is especially desirable that they should
reach, viz. the average farmer. The
same is true of the agricultural press. !
The average farmer is difficult to
reach by these means. viii the model |
or experimental farm reach him? Yes,
eventually. Will the local farmers
clubs reach him? Yes, right at once. |
There is no manner of doubt about |
this. This is our honest opinion. Now,
let's hear from you. &C. H. Turner, In |
Farm and Ranch.