Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-11-07
A NATIONAL FARM.
THE UNITED STATES TO HAVE A
MODEL FARM.

The Work is Already Besun-The Site En-
braces Part Of the Arlington Estate MOI
Used for the National Military Cemetery
About four Hundred Acres-It Will Be tn,
Mecca Of Farmers.
The United States is to have a
model farm, run by the Agriculture
Department and situated just acros.
the Potomac river. 1t embraces tha,
part OF the Arlington estate not used
for the National military cemetery
about four hundred acres OF Virgini ia
land to the south OF the cemetery and
bordering on the river. 1t is to be
known as the Arlington Farms" and
it is the purpose of Secretary Wilson
to make it the Mecca of farmers, not
only of the United States, but of all
the world. With scientific farming
and under the care OF experts, it will
be shown what Nature will do.
The work has already begun, but
until now no formal announcement
has been made of the plans.
"We are doing great things over
there" said the Secretary of Agricul.
ture, "and it is time now that farm.
ers of the country know something
about it. l predict that it will not be
long now when that farm will be a
model which will be studied by thous.
ands OF farmers and from which they
will carry away ideas which will
beautify the whole country"
A year ago last spring the first
move was made toward reclaiming
this part of the Arlington estate. The
property was, up to that time, under
the care of the War Department, but
it was unused, and had received prac-
tically no care. At the instigation oil
Secretary Wilson it was turned over
to the Department Of Agriculture fol
experimental purposes. The horticul.
turalist Of the plant.breeding division
was chosen to work out the Secretary'e
plans, and, under the direction of the
Secretary and of Prof. d. P. Galloway,
he began. horticultural L. G. Cor
bett found that the land had been
used only for q mule pasture, and that
otherwise it had been permitted tc
grow wild things ever since the prop
erty was confiscatcd from the Lee
estate some forty years ago. So fol
two years the only thing he could do
was to reclaim the soil and render il
fit for tho application OF fertilizers
So Mr.. Corbett had it plowed up and
sown to cow pears, soy beans and
such course fodder, which, when i,
matured. was promptly plowed under
again. This year he put in crop ol
rye just for an experiment, and found
that it yielded twenty-five bushels to
the acre, which is much better than
the average. So he has pronounced
the land suitable for operations.
Mr.. Corbett has had the land care
fully surveyed and has drawn plans
Just az an architect would for q house
There will be model farm house, q
model orchard with the finest Ameri'
can fruit that can be grown and all
sorts OF crops. standard and new
There will also be . large collection
OF shade trees brought together fol
comparison and all marked plainly
with their popular and scientific
names, 90 that . farmer visiting the
farm and seeing . tree or q shrut
which he would like on his own place
will be able to make q memorandum
and order intelligently. Already the
work Of building q model barn has
begun, and many Of the trees have
been started.
"We intend" sad Mr.. Corbett, etc
make il the finest and most complete
collection Of apple, peach and pear
trees in the country, and the first OBJ
ject will be to complete the list oI
American varieties. We are particu-
larly we'll situated here for the grow
ing OF all these fruits. We are situ-
ated in q zone where the fora Of the
north and south overlap; 90 that we
can grow apples which flourish in the
northern part of Minnesota and the
Dakotas, and at the same time can
grow the varieties which do well in
the Carolinas and the northern part
of Florida. So it will be with peaches
and pears, and, to some extent, posi-.
bly, oranges. In making this collec-
ton we shall grow each and every tree
ourselves, grating the stock on q
young tree Of known character and
health. The cutting will be taken
from . tree which is in fruit, and
which we know to be true by name
This will insure accuracy of nomen'
clature, and freedom from the diseases
which attack these fruits. The trees
will be very valuable for propagation
purposes, and in the work OF breeding
and cross.breeding they will be con
venient to the experimenters OF the
department.
81 anticipate that this model farm
will become in few years, one OF tht
most attractive points OF interest tt
many people who come to Washing
ton, and will be OF inestimable practi
cal value in showing in tangible ant
visible form the theories Of the depart
ment."