The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-19
Letters to the Editor.
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Place for an Experiment Station

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 Place for an Experiment Station.
 Editor The Advertiser:
 | 1T there Is place in Alabama or ir
 ,ne south that should have a first-class | Asrlcuiturai Experiment Station protected l on a liberal scale with money, energy
 and brains behind 1t, that point is Mont. | gomery.
 | It is not only the political capital, but
 sne asrcuItural metropolis of the great | iaiming region of the State. It is un- | surpassed as center for the distribution | or agrlcuitural information. Experiments | ana demonstrations made here will have
 tar-reaching influence not possible if More than three-fourths of the people of Alabama are vItally interested in agri- culture and its kindred branches. Fafm- ing Tn the State is not what 1t should pc. It IS not progressive and fiourish-
 Ing. More farmers are emigrating from
 the state than are coming into 1t. We are not Keeping pace even with our sister
 States of Georgia and Mississippi Some years ago the farmers of Alabama through the Legislature, established a department of Agriculture provided for
 the election of a Commissioner and A liberal appropriation for his expenses ana an office at the Capitol. They yolun- "a ,tasrily taxed themselves by placing a tar ciusively by tillers of the soil. They pro- yided that the money raised by this tax should be paid into the State Treasury to the credit ofthe Department of Agri- culture as a special fund. One-sixth or the money from this fund was appro- prtated to the Agricultural and Mechani- cal College at Auburn to be used in pro- noting scientific and practical agricul- ture.
 Nine agricultural schools were estab-
 lished, one in each Congressional district, WItn Iarm attached for practical dem onstration. Twenty-Five hundred dollars was set apart to be paid annually to each oI these schools, provided they carry out the purposes of their endowment as fixed Tn the laws creating them. They made if the duty of the Commissioner to see that the schools complied with the law or withhold the appropriation.
 This was the scheme to promote scien- tlnc and practical Agriculture and to raise a generation educated and trained In head and hand and imbued with higher,
 more progressive and advanced ideas and methods. The plan is a good one if the execution is faulty They charged the Commissioner with many and important duties and placed in his hands the means 70 develop the most successful methods, and to lead the way in a general advance
 Among his many specified duties. he ia to encourage the proper development of agriculture. horticulture and kindred in- dustries. He shall encourage the forma- ton of neighborhood and county srri cultural clubs and out of these State Agricultural Association. He is to inves-
 1gate and report on the grain and grasses best adapted to the varied soils of the State. and the diseases affecting the various crops and find the best reme- dies therefor. He is to promote the rais- ing Of fsh, the growing of sheep and wool and all kinds of profitable live stock: to investigate and report on the subject of tences and their cost; analyze soils marls and phosphates. and to insnect the fertilizers offered for sale In the State. These and many other duties are en1olned upon him Besides he has lati- directions.
 The farmers of Alabama have the right to expect that the office created for their benef1t and maintained by taxing an ar- ticle used exclusively by them should work out many problems which individ ually they are unable to solve for them selves. They planned to educate their children in these various schools so that they might readily adopt any demonstra- tion of value made by the department for their benefit.
 The office of the Commissioner with his assistants is fixed in Montgomery. The receipts from the tax passing through his hands amount to about $100, ,OO0 and something over half is paid to the schools and the necessary expenses of the de- partment. leaving a large amount for other uses. For the department to be of the greatest benefit to tn people, there should b a first-class Experiment Station at Montgomery under the immediate su- pervision of the Commissioner and the Governor. and they should be responsible for results.
 This station should have ample acreage so that all kinds of tests could be made. It should have the most modern and am pie buildings for storage and shelter All the best labor saving implements and farm machinery should be kept, tested and recommended when found suitable | The live stock department should be a | special feature and under the care of | trained feeders and skilful veterinarians | The best breeds of cattle should be im- | ported and inocculated in order that the | farmers of the State may get their breed | ing animals from the Station. The | grasses, legumes, together with every | seeds, tile drainage. roadmaking, fencing | farm engineering and other important | subjects vitally affecting agriculture, | should be given attention and the results | made known.
 Such station calls for thoroughly edu- | cated and devot d men in immediate | charge. Men Tho have ideas and theories | and the practical sense to bring about | results of value.
 It Is said that the recent investigations | Of one professor of the Iowa Experiment | Farm In the subject of seed corn its | varied vitalit<, adar. ability to withstand | tne extremes Of heat, moisture and va | ried soils and other characteristics of this | necessary staff of fife, were worth more | than million of dollars to the farmers | of the corn belt
 The farmers of Alabama lose hundreds | of thousands of dollars annually by | planting seed of corn and cotton wanting | in vitality and fruitfulness and properly | adapted to soil and climate. The same | may be said of the ignorant use of com | mercial fertilizers and the breeding Of | inferior live stock
 Alabama should have the best and most thoroughly equipped station in the South | at he" Capital City, and then the best | men to manage it, for it is the men be- | hind the guns that bring about results of | value. M B. HouRhton
 Boggs tat the art exhibiO-I think this | picture must have heen hung hv ,nistakn |