The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-05-22

within Il few years the region aroun,
Il Southern Pines has become quite al
: important fruit growing district. Tn,
= land is level and uniform, and thu.
: well suited for the extensive scheme o.
: field experiments conducted by the
| society. The area of the farm is sixty
= live acres, with the addition of tho
vegetable department, consisting OF
fifteen acres. All the work from the
{ clearing of the land, down to the pre-.
, sent time, has been very exact and
thorough. The principal object is to
determine by series of actual expert
ments On the farm, the best quantities
and relative proportions for using the
various fertllizing substances in oldcr
to produce the largest crops at the least
expense.
No commercial brand of fertilizer is
used, but fcrtiizing ingredients are
employed IN various combinations.
The work that has been done and
under contemplation is so vast, that it
can be well said, and is said, to be the
most extensive and scientific expert
mental farm IN the world. Two series
of Investigations are now being CON
Quoted, one devoted to vegetables
field crops, and the other to fruits.
The series devoted to pears (kcifcr)
were set out i'll 1896, eighteen trees TO
the plot of onc-tenth acre. AS an
illustration to show the vigorous growth
of the different plots, as the results of
the different combinations of fertilizer
| ingredients, imagine you arc standing
at the top of flight of stairs, looking
| M hn OF
represents the plot fcrtlized with a
complete fertilizer, nitrogen, phos-
phoric acid and potash, with liberal
quantity, the bottom step denotes the
plat unfcrtilzcd, nothing but the nntu-
raj fertility of the soil, the intervening
steps, those plots that have received
fertilizers Of various combinations and |
amouns. This illustration well an
swcrs for the appearance of the series |
with peaches, apples and plums. The |
series of plots devoted to grapes were |
set out III 1898, onc-twcntieth of an |
acre to each plot. Here some extra |
fine work has been done, not only |
showing the effect of different fO1ms of |
plant food and in different quantities,
but the different ways Of pruning and |
form Of training the vine.
The vines are now cut back to the
ground IN order to try new method |
OF training. One feature of the work |
done at the farm is that clippings of
vines and other wood growth of trees
with specimens of fruit and vegetables |
are sent to the laboratory for analysis. |
Series of experiments have been made
with straw berries and red raspberries,
but the soil does not seem to be well
adapted TO these fruits, therefore, they
have been abandoned, but Will be re-
sumed again with irrigation. Series
OF experiments are being made with |
Austin's Improved and Lucreta dew
berries and full series of blackberries.
TIE VEGETABLE DEPARTMENT.
In this department, experiments
were not fully under way at the time
of my visit. Series of experiments
will be made this season with aspara-
gus, corn, Spanish peanuts, artichokcs
and sweet potatoes. OF sweet potatoes
there was grown on one measured acre
G3O bushels Of marketable potatoes at
the farm last season. The society is
now contemplating putting in an irri-
CATION plant and bring the water in
iron pipes from II distance of over a
mile, storing it in reservoir, holding
over one hundred thousand gallons;
when the plant is finished they will |
experiment with different ways OF
irrigation. The object Of these expert
mcnt that have been made and those
that are beng made, is to show the
comparative fcrtilizing power of diff
fercnt forms of plant food, also the
comparative effect of lime and green
manuriny, or in other words, the plow-
ing nndcr of leguminous crops to
furnish nitrogen and humus to the
soil.
Special attention is being paid to the
study of different methods of resisting
and treating the attacks of fungus dis
eases and OF insect pests. All the |
fruit trees on the farm have been
treated with hydrocyanic acid gas for !
scale insects, which method has PROV
ed effective, but expensive. The fruit
and vegetable growers throughout the |
United States ought to profit largely
from the results of these experiments
and work at the Experimental Farm.
The results of these scientific ex-
pcriments should show to the farmer
the most proper and economical way
for chemical fertilizers to be used. and
IN buying fertiizing materials adapted
to his soil and crops, he must recollcct
that all crops are not alike, and that it
is necessary for different and proper
combinations of fertilizing materials to
produce great results. Elaborate re.
ports Of the operations of the farm are
sent out annually and bulletins quar-
tcrly, and are free to all who may apply
for them.
found the farm well laid of with
drivcways aud avenues, and a house
in the centre of the farm answered for
committee room for the reception of
visitors to the farm and as Il residence
for the superintendent. | had the
pleasure of meeting some members of
the supervising committee of the Ex-
perimental Farm, Col. j. Van Lind
ley, president of the State Horticul-
tural society, and Mayor Beck, of
Southern Pines, also Captain A. ID.
McNair, the general superintendent of
Tue Experimental Farm, and his csti-
mablc wife.
While travelling from Atlanta to