The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-31
FOR THE FARM

to investigate the agricultural conditions
of the South that farmers generally are
more earnestly seeking information for
better farming methods at the present
time than ever before This is due partly
Ito changed conditions which have taken
place within the past ten years aud to the
wide and general efforts being 50 earnest
Ily advocated along the lines Of better edu-
Icational facilities, not alone for the child,
but for the adult farmer also. The eX
traordinary interest manifested IN aSr-
cultural education is largely due to the
efforts of the Farmers Institute move
ment which has come to be the leading
factor for disseminating agricultural IN
| formation among the adult farmers OF
! the country Some years ago farmers as
a rule were but little interested IN any
thing but the production Of cotton. Their
every thought was upon the best plan tor
| increasing their cotton acreage to the ploy
land increasing the yield per mule. The
/ low prices ut which our money staple sold
/ eight to ten years ago came near breaking
The country and established the first i'm
provement toward diversified farming in
the South. Farmers realized that the all
cotton system was a dangerous policy to
pursue, and for the past eight years, es-
peclally, more grain and forage crops
have been produced, each year noting an
! increased acreage in food stuffs, until at
/ the present time there appears to be a
general disposition in the minds of farm
ers to divide up their farms into cotton,
grain and forage crops. The production
/ of forage and grasses naturally has devel-
Oped a sentiment IN favor of the increas
/ ed production of cattle and pork. The re
! suit is. that the South is now rapidly
coming to the front as a cattle. pork and
/ dairy section.
/ 1t is gratifying to note that the United
States census reports for 1900 shows that
/ the South increased her pork production
by a much larger percentage between 1890
and 1900 than any other section OF the
/ Union. A person has onl yto visit our
State fairs to see the increased interest
in, and number OF thoroughbred cattle
which are now being annually exhibited
! by local producers. Within the last Tour
years one firm of Texas breeders has
distributed in this State fully one thous
and bulls in the best Hereford strain of
beef cattle. These bulls viii serve on
an average of $4,000 cows annually, so that
within the next five years the Hereford
type of beef cattle viii become a common
sight in most sections of Georgia as they
are now in Texas.
Fully as many of the Short Horn types
have been sold as the Hereford, one strain
being about the eual Of the other in beef
ualities. or the dairy types Georgia
farmers are breeding up good herds Of the
Jersey. Ayrshire and Holstein. The day
Of the scrub is rapidly passing away, and
the sooner they pass out from the country
the better All Of these desirable changes
in our agricultural methods is the result
of thought, study and preparation to meet
the changed conditions that have con-
fronted Us within the past decade or two.
AGRICULTURAL LITERATURE.
One of the greatest educators of the
present time is good agricultural ltera-
ture. Every farmer should subscribe for
at least one good paper and read it care
fully in search of such information as
viii be beneficial to him in his particular
line of business. There are few men com
paratively who can improve their cUndi- |
tions without study and research. A man
may make good crops. and many hundreds 4
do, who never look at a paper or any 9th /
er kind of literature, but while force /
farming may give good results in some in /
stances there is but little or no progress Z
made by the system The man who reads I
and thinks can intelligently explain his I
reasons for pursuing a certain course in /
farming which has been successful he can
also forcibly give the benefit of his eX-
periences and successes to other farmers |
who are trying TO arrive at the same re-
suits In farmers meetings there are
always numerous uestions to be asked .
by those seeking information, and men
who study and think most are generally
the ones best euipped to give the plainest
and most satisfactory answers. The time
was when the student in agriculture was
regarded in the light OF "book worn"
and book farmers were held in disrepute
by the average cultivator of the soil. But
the evolution of time, the wide dissemina-
ton of agricultural literature, principally
through the medium OF the farm paper,
has wrought a Wondrous change ana
nearl yall farmers are now seeking sue
cess and making strenuous efforts to get
all the information possible through some
medium of thought and research. Trainers
now are glad of an opportunity to come
together to listen to lectures by the best
educated agriculturists of the country,
and have no hesitancy in seeking inform
alton on all topics from such sources.
Farmers are rapidly realizing that they
are engaged in business which reuires
more brain ability to work out problems
than is reuired in any other profession
or business in the world Farming is not
speciality as is other lines Of business and
professions. The successful farmer. and
the man who is ambitions to make the
soils yield up all of its hidden wealth,
should represent the highest type Of edu-
cational ability both from the practical
and scientific standpoint that the country
can produce