The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-06-18
NEWS OF THE FARMING WORLD.
Our Washington Correspondent Tells What
Progress iS Being Made in the Various SEQ
tions of the Country

Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer
The Year Book of the Department
of Agriculture is now being distrib-
uted-a large handsomely illustrated
volume of over 800 pages that should
be of interest to the thoughtful read
ers of The Progressive Farmer. A
postal card application to your Con-
gresham will secure a free copy for
you.
Information received in this city
shows
A GENERAL INCREASE IN VALUE OF
FARMING LANDS
pretty much all over the United
States. Some years ago land fell to
a low valuation, farms with good
buildings selling for less than the
buildings cost. But the return of
business activity and good prices has
greatly altered the situation. Under
such circumstances land was bound
to improve in price, and it has done
so. In the West there has been a
decided advance in farming lands.
Ranch lands in parts of Kansas, Ne
braska and the Dakotas have ad.
vanced 20 per cent. over the prices
that prevailed three years ago.
Large bodies of land are being taken
up by syndicates in the belief that
the rapid settlement of the Indian
lands and the substitution of agri-
culture for grazing will soon pro-
duce a strong demand. Improved
methods have brought into use large
areas that were formerly barren.
The outlook is accordingly consid-
cred very promising. The general
situation is such as to indicate bet
ter day for land values all over the
country. In Maryland and Virginia,
for example, and much more in Della
ware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
New York, there is tendency of the
wealth of the cities to spread to the
more attractive country districts.
becoming ubiquitous. The dreary
isolation, which was some years ago
the feature of farm life that made it
odious to young people, is less
marked in this day of bicycles and
improved communications.
The Department of Agriculture is
INVESTIGATING THE GREEN PEA LOUISE,
which last year destroyed about half
of the pea crop, and which bade fair
to be even more destructive this
year. So far no really effective
method of determination has been
found, though several palliatives
are suggested. The best yet discov-
cred is to grow the peas in rows suf-
ficiently wide apart as to admit of
one-horse cultivatOr between them.
The lice are brushed from the plants
with boughs of pine with their leaves
on, and a cultivatOr then follows
down the rows as soon afterward as
possible. For the perfect success of
this method it should be practiced in
the heat of the day, when the ground
is dry and hot, and the repetition of
the brushing is necessary every
three to seven days until the crop is
ready for picking. Such lice as are
not buried in the ground by the cul-
tivator will be killed by the dust
which closes their breathing pores,
while considerable proportion are
destroyed also by the force of the
brushing. This method has the ad
vantage of not being so destructive
to the natural enemies as other means
that might be employed, the louise
being more fragile and delicate than
any of its insect enemies. Moreover,
peas planted in rows to permit of
FREQUENT cultivation suffer much
less injury than when sOwn broad
cast. As soon as the last picking
has been made infested plants should
be promptly destroyed by plowing
under. This plan succeeded perfect
ly on a Maryland farm, which was
about to be destroyed. The pests
live during the winter in clover
fields or on vetches, so that it is adj
visable not to plant peas near these.
1t is also advisable to plant a differ
ent area in peas each year.
The Department is felicitating it.
self on
THE EXTENSION OF CERTAIN CROP
AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES
due to experiments inaugurated by
itself Particularly, is it feeling happy