The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-04-01

Sections Of the Country.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
Mr.. q. VIM. Hill, the editor of the
Department of Agriculture, is now
engaged in the preparation of the
Yearbook for 1901 and despite his
efforts TO make it volume easily
handled, 1t seems as if this one will
be even larger than that prepared
last year.
SIN making up the new Yearbook, :"
said Mr.. Hill, 81 am not losing sight
of the well known fact thot the peo-
pie generally do not care to read
long exhaustive articles, and so am
cautioning the various heads of divis-
ions to oonfine themselves to dis
oussions which will not use up more
than eight or ten pages. Despite
this, however, many come, unless
properly edited, which would occupy
double that space.
EVILS OF FREE DISTRIBUTION OF DOCU-
MENTs
"I am still heartily in favor of
making the farmer pay for the docu-
ments he wants. What he does not
care for, he will not receive, and
thus be compelled TO throw them
away, as is often done now with the
free distribution in vogue. What I
mean by paying for them is that they
should pay the mere cost of printing
and paper used in the excess number
published. The composition, of
course, we must pay for, as the pam
phlet must be printed any way the
excess number should be paid for.
"The present method of free dis
tribution will kill itself, if one would
consider the facts. Last year we
distributed over 1000, 900 documents
nearer 8, 900, 900 this year the total
will mount up TO nearly 1000, 900.
The 100000 copies did not go to
over possibly SOO,OOO farmers who
get on an average of ten pamphlets
year. The latest census figures show
that there are 7,1OO, 900 farmers in
this country. We should reach at
least three-fourths of them and
allow them to read 10 or 10 copies
annually, To do this would require
the publication of from forty five to
sixty million documents annually.
When we consider that last year over
$3.50, 900 was expended for the print
ing and distribution of these publica-
tions, a proper distribution to an
equitable proportion of our farmers
would cost in the neighborhOod of
$6, 900, 900 per annum.
"The Yearbook of last year was
received with favor all over the
country and the demand upon Us for
copies was unequal to our supply as
Congress allowed us to have 35, 900
of the 5000 printed. The balance
the members distributed themselves.
The annual appropriation for this
book does not come out of the agri-
cultural funds, but is provided for
especially by Congress. This amounts
to $500, 900 for printing and binding.
An official of the PosBofice Depart
ment informed me that this book
alone cost the government in the
neighborhood of $125, 900 for postage
or transportion.
"Mr. Wilson, our Secretary, is op-
posed so measure placing u price
upon the agricultural publications,
believing it to be too stringent, but
there is no doubt but if Congress
were asked to appropriate Sc, ,OOO,O
for publications of the Department.
of Agriculture, there would at once
be howl of dismay come from that
body over the enormity of such an
expenditure. D."
FERTILIZER EXPERIMENTS
An experiment in Russia with
green manuring was made in order
to compare the availability to higher
plants of the nitrogen of green ma
nure with that of nitrate of soda,
various kinds of animal manures and
other heterogeneous fertilizers. In
small plots of sandy soil oats were
sown, the nitrogen being applied
from nitrate of soda liquid manure
fresh horse manure; rotted horse
manure; fresh cow manure; blood
meal, and green manure,
The largest crop secured was from
the plot on which green manure was
applied, the other fertilizers being
effective in this order-nit1ate of
aoda blood meal and liouid manure.