The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-13
STATE TEST FARM HAS
A BRILLIANT FUTURE
A Great Deal Accomplished
There in Short Time.
GREAT PLANS FOR FUTURE
improvements to BE Made il
Many Directions.
FARMERS LEARN MANY THINGS
They Go to Manager with Their rr4s.
b'es and He He:ps Them Out of Dif-
ficu';ies-Fine Cattle to BE Pur-
chased Ditch will Be Dug
to Reclaim unproduc~
ti.c Land.
FARMERS LEARN MANY THINGS

All that any one could expect has bee
accomplished at the state test farm, ,hi1
year said Commissioner Of Asrte,,ftur,
Koiner last night.
Mr. koiner has but recently rstur,a
from the test farm, where he vent for -,
purpose Of planning improvements cousid
cred necessary next year. \ considerably
amount OF money will be spent on TIN
farm during the spring and summer. Quit
. number Of acres of Iowlands are to r.
rescued By an immense ditch. barns az
to be built and fences to be run.
The wife and daughters of Profess.
Heiges have joined him now. and 1.
family is Very comfortable The hous,
since the additions made during the sun,
1ner. Is ample in accommodations. and III
room which was designed Ter the meet
ms place OF the State Board Of Asricus
ttTe is so commodious and attractive thu,
people III the netghbornood sought to b.
allowed 70 have public worship there. OF
course, this could not be done. because
II would render the place too uupleasautl,
pubic for the manager and his family
Ard there was not, III the opinion of rb.
bo&rd. any real need for such q thing.
Church being not far distant.
The place is ROW one of the best Iool;
.n:; and best kept in the county and d
gong to look far better in a short wi,ife
l. IS now what Mr.. koiner wished 70,
it-tIe Mecca for farmers of tie count,
Who want information about their own
crops and solutions for their own ditti-
cClcies.
PAST ASp FUTURE.
The farm naturaIi, presents itself i,
two aspects-its past and its future.
About three years ago Charlotte count
expressed the willingness to give III
State a good farm provided the Stat,
would use it for 4 testing station. Tht
otier was accepted, and as soon Us tho
county got the legislative right to issu,
bonds and sell them. SAKE was nu;.
chased. This was about two years ago
Professor Heiges came late in the spring
OF 191l-too late to put III many crops OF
that year Much of the time was spent
in fixing up the place and seeding winter
cats and wheat. But last spring the man
a.ger. with exemplary system. seeded every
crop that the people in the Southsid7
usually have and some that he thought
the soil adaptable TO, but were new to
the section
The manager himself was great help
to the surrounding farmers who cana
q, ask him about their own crops. They
found him a practical well as tieo.
reticai farmer. with wide experience. who
va familiar with their difficulties and
a-so with the ramedy for them.
In August Manager Heises had the tin
est crops in the county He did not
have the largest of each. OF course. as
fi:s is for experiment mainly. though tas
farm IS to be made self-SuDorting, but
=
i!is, were the best TO be found. Ills to-
tacco at that time was an eye-opener tn
tie planters of the Southside. Then cams
the hail. and every stone that fell upon
that crop hurt Manager He1Ses sorel!.
buy almost ruined the tobacco. 1t first
thought his crop was completely gone.
tut it picked up {, good deal, and not
y.ithstanding the stunttnS caused by thu
damage. Commissioner Koiner expects
Scnle in a few days TO place on exhibit
tnat viii measure IS inches in width Tho
lane Yielded 20 bushels of wheat and til
bushels of winter oats. The corn crop
was not so good The yield was hardly
more than so bushels to the acre
GREAT THINGS AHEAD.
The future of the farm is bright. It
VIII not have reached its best develop
nsnt for four or five years yet. When
Manager Heiges took charge he found
tnat the soil had been depleted of al. its
vegetable matter; that for years every
thing had been taken off and nothing pr.
back. In consequence the land washeY
greatly The hard rains Just tear it ia
Fieces. What the wise manager is doing
row IS to turn grasses under. ana these
in q short time VIII give the soil its spons-
hess which is proof against washing
One of the tasks set for this winter
is the rescue of land bordering on a
stream that flows through the place.
Ctten this land is sodden. and grass and
other crops are drowned. An immense
ditch is to be dug. It will cost q con-
siderable sum. but will make this fertile
tract available for grass and other crops
that VIII soon pay back the cost OF the
work Alfalfa is TO be sown in the spring.
and this crop can be seen from the South
orl Railway. and will serve 70 make 4
sood impression on strangers passing OF
the trains
Mr.. Heises expects in the spring to get
some red poll cattle. some Berkshire an,:
Fciand-China hogs. leghorn hens ana az
stock such as one would expect to sint
OH a model place. de will try the red
poll because this breed $,re good ulilxs sr.
as well as bcefers. and Manager Freige.
thinks it is best adapted to this sectio.
of the country When too old to Weld
good supply of milk. cows can Be tat
sered ltp cheaply for beef.