The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-10
PRACTICAL FARM TOPICS.

FnA0 ilOAL- TNnW I0TAO0
Recently having heard so much said
on the subject Of what many seem to call
book farming. and as there seems to be
some erroneous Ideas held by farmers
on this subject, I wish to make few
statements and may follow these with
a few practical suggestions.
It is not the purpose of any writer OF
agricultural books or papers to have the
readers follow out In detail, under an
conditions, the advise as given IN thelr
writings. All writer's, suppose, or course,
that the reader has some sound common
sense of his own. and that he will use
Judgment In following the writer All
writer's are fully aware that no ironeiaa
rule can be given that will hold good I'M
der all our varied farm conditions. We
can. however, give much valuable advise
and in this way get the reader to think
ing and In using his own experience he
may be greatly benefited.
1t il not possible for any one man to
know everything, and. In fact. 1t is very
little that any one man does know, and
the more he studies and learns the more
will he feel the need of knowledge I
have spent years in the study of agricul-
tural and horticultural matters and have
received many compliments on my writ
ings, yet I never attend farmers meet
ing where I do not get some new and
valuable information. Then again l never
read paper but what get a new idea.
This is true of even our smallest local
county papers. In fact these often con-
tain the very best of information.
Should be Practical.
The writing of agricultural matter
should be we'll planned out and should be
from a practical experience, as well as
from a theoretical standpoint. In fact,
when the reader reads in any book or
paper an article on any subject he should
regard 1t as a theory and ask himself
the question: Is this theo--- advanced
from q farm experience or has This theory
been proven on the farm; has 1t been
written by writer who has proved what
he is talking about, or Is 1t written from
some encyclopedia by one who was never
on farm? II he should find on investi-
CATION that the writer Is familiar with
the facts, and that the matter has really
been proven, then he Is warranted in put
ting faith enough in the matter to apply
the theory when he thinks it will be of
benefit to him.
Any theory given by any writer on ag-
ricultural matters which has not had a
crucial farm test is worthless. That we
have much of this worthless stuff there
is no question, and here is where comes
in the Importance of farm education. The
farmer should be so we'll educated that
his critical eye may enable him to at once
know whether or not the writer knows
his subject or what he is writing about
Only this week read two articles In
agricultural papers, both writer's display
ing the utmost ignorance of their sub
jects. One was on canteloupe growing,
and the writer showed plainly from start
to finish that he had never grown any
canteloupes and knew nothing whatever
about this fruit. Perhaps like man I
knew once who wrote on grape culture.
He said he bought some very fine fruit,
and in eating 1t he thought as 1t was so
fine that every one ought to encourage
grape growing so he set to work and
wrote a book on the subject, gathering
his information from other books.
The other article alluded to was on
plant foods as contained in various soils,
and, like the writer on canteleupe grow
ing the author showed that he knew