The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-12-12
LETTER FROM B. II. WARNER
As WRITES INTERESTINGLY
On Devslop msnt q Resources o. ,"e
Old Dominion-Proposss . rarm
e,s' Confersnce-Wlll Sseo,e ~
operation OF the pepa''men. "
S.,.,,,tu,. - Important Sussss-

O'e c.s.,snes-WnI Secure Co
.,Inn Of the Department o.
S.,-,,,,u,. - Important Sussss"
sions, Etc
Washington. d G., Dec. Sth, 1908
To The Free Lance.
some time ago suggested Farmers
cortarence might be Of very great value
~ tbe farmers around fredericksburg.
! vsntjoned this matter to the Secretary
of the Agricultural Department ana ne
vill co.operate. All that will have TO be
done IA TO secure hall and name ei'ner
one or two dave for the session.
| visited the farm Of MIR. George FurVls,
near fredericksburg, some time ago ana
was exceedingly interested by the great
nroCress no has made in developing SOL
which was apparently exhausted anu
unproductive. BY the expenultnIe vi
some money and the use oil goou IuuH'
ment he has made beauthni P'aoe,
which il not only very attractive ou'
profitable from a pecuniary StahupoIn..
There are hundreds OF thousands oil acres
similarly situated which may be mane 10
hloom and blossom with remuheratiNe
crons An intelligent study { CONDITIONS
x;li hiring this about II, however,
40 en men who have taken prouiiuep,
nart In the work cf the Department "
Agriculture In building up sections wren
hsve heen neglected and undesiraoie can
h,' secnred | am sure that the elect Whl
be beneficial and the resui'S 'eH'"'u
earlier. ,,,r, orn.
Please get the sentiment oil your com ohi,
munity. will be glad TO aid III tn,7
matter The expense will be very siignt'
Professor b. +. Galloway, chief OF Sne
bnreau of plant and industry Of tue ~
nartment of Agriculture, makes the ioi'
lowing statement: ,.-aiuia that
there has been very little sysVenias'. q"
tempt to arouse the farmers out VI .ue.
anathetie condition. Ii seems S'In
pity that a state with such wohusrIuI
Agricultural advantages should, lot sneei
lark oi organized effort, be Tagging so
far behind other sections oil the counu!
that are not nearly 50 fortunate ia WI.
ally. With a climate and SOL th@l or
favorable for many varied crops, WIN
markets in good proximity, ali thaS Is
nee1ed il organized Efforts 10 maze VIZ
ginia one of the leading agricul'u,aI
states in the Union. OF course, its son -
denlorably run down, but with pro per
farm management IL would onp ue
onestion of a short time in bu'ldingltu up
XII oI these things can bee talked ABOUT
and written about indefinitely but they
will have very little effect on the genera
class of farmers az found In the OIu
Domjnion." lie seems To me that What
Il more especially needed in this state Is
to have as many striking object lessons
in advanced agricultural WORK ~ prac-
ticable. Every wide-awake, progressI.e
farmer that could be interested 10 golh'0
the state should be looked after auu
should be given encouragement IN 40 lSi
as the securing If cheap evaliao'e lsnus
IL eoueern.d. one good, Wlde'AWhke'
progressive man in . community WIN 90
q great deal toward le8vening the whoie
mass of surrounding farmers IN com
paratively short time. The Department
Of Agriculture is doing much In thi- ui'es-
ton that il not generally understoou.
We are carrying On demonstration eA
periments now in many parts OF the
country. but. 80 far, our work has been
contiued mainly to the extreme southern
portions OF the cOuhtry. In leAss'
Louisiana and Alabama, i0r example.
we have adopted plan which Il WORK
ing To good advantage. lhoIouguy
wide.awake business men in different
sections. representing what might DE
called type agricultural regions, nave
Joined with the Department in conduct
inc hat we call demonstration farms.
I In most cases the land, the buildings ana
the labor are furnished by private sub
scription, while the Department PROVIDES
q definite working plan, which IL follow
Cd explicitly. and which has for its OBJ
jsct not only the building up OF the sol,
but the production OF crops whien WIZ
ne more profitable than those ordinarily
grown. As an example, viii cite alarm
of this kind, which, 10 company WIN
the Secretary, we just visited IN leAAs
This particular farmer had been deyot
inc most oi his Efforts 90 growing cot
/ ton The department FURNISHED him q
working plan providing for diversified
/ tion of crops. Cotton was put I'D Tor lin'
mediate returns; a field OF alfalfa was
! brought into the work and also helu
of COW. peas. A system OF rotation was
established, but what was oil more tpe'
cial immediate importance was plan
for increasing the yields OF cotton by
proper fertilization. The citizens u the
community agreed to reimburse the
farmer for any reduction under an aver
age crop fof that particular LOCALITY
This applied mainly 10 cotton. As a re-
sult of his first seasons work, however
he not only grew and sold enough tt
meet the demands for an average crop
but bis profits above this we're soreIhlht
ike ST0O on less than q hundred acres
Farmers were coming to this place IRON
ali sections of the country to visit 10 ano
as a result OF that one effort, ten or III
teen other farms In the neighborhoo'
will be put under similar management
, and similar working plans the preseh
. year. -,..t
What be says covers the situation.
hone no one will take oiiense at any 9
r hi- expressions as he writes In all KIND
ness aud for my information only:
s Nv the way. let me again say that IN
b Agricultural Department today Is dom
: more for the benefit OF the country tina
any other single department OF the Go'
a eminent. 1t is inspiring the America
! Iarmer in all sections with the idea ting
4 in order to work prohtabiy with d
!. hands he must have an intelligent col
q ception a results, which can only con
: rom intelligent thought. Norman in an
branch of business can make the san
profit out Of the capital invested, as Il
II man who tills the soil know mar
E. farmers growl and cay that trey have
C hard time. and their Efforts meet VII
X meagre regard but let sny one OF the
q sIt down, take out his pencil and go
u figuring, and he will find that, as rul
o. he can not do as much with five or t
thousand dollars 10 any other way az
,a can by putting it into farm. and deYc
Il. inc his best energies 10 Ito mansgemen
az II there ls any difference OF opinion
+, this point, woull like some OF 20
A. readers to reply, and | will demonstra
a the correctness Of m! position.
d Yours sincerely, -
~ B. H. Warner