The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-19

and two horses and desires to know
 when to expect the publication of the
 field experiments with cotton made at Auburn.
 | Answering your question, I would say that you would scarcely find 1t profit able to erect a silo and purchase ma chinery for cutting and lifting the | silage in view of the fact that you would feed from the silo only eight head of cattle and two head of horses.
 However. it is quite possible to make a stave silo small enough to be suitable for this small number of animals. 1t is usually considered unadvisable to erect a silo for less than ten or twenty cows. In this climate the silo must be small enough or the number of animals
 must be large enough for the farmer each day to use the silage to the depth
 of two and one-half inches over the
 entire surface of the silo. Otherwise 1 there is danger that this part of the
 silage may sour before being used. Answering your question whether the results of our field tests are yet avail I able, would say that the results of our variety tests with cotton are now being prepared for publication and will probably be ready for distribution | in January. Other results are nearly | ready for publication, but may not be | puDliSneQ tnlS WlHtef d. F D. Farming as . Profession. Condensed from a paper presented by Dr. W. H. Dalrymple, M. B. c. V.
 S., Louisiana State University and Ex- pertinent Station, at sixth annual | meeting of the association of Com
 missioners of Agriculture of the South-
 ern States.
 Modern agriculture. as we would all wish to consider 1t, may be defined
 under two heads, viz: Theoretical
 and practical. The former is q science,
 comprehending in its scope the nature
 and properties of soils, the different
 kinds of plants and seeds fitted to them, the composition and qualities of \ fertilizers and the rotation of crops.
 and involving a knowledge of chem
 istry. geology. animal physiology. bacteriology and kindred sciences.
 While practical agriculture, or hus-
 bandry may be said to be an art, com pretending all the labors of the field
 and of the farmyard, such as prepar-
 ing the land for the reception of the seeds or plants, sowing or planting, raising and gathering the crops, care of domestic animals, disposition of
 products, etc.
 In the twentieth century farming. | then, we must look for a blending of
 both the theoretical and the practi-
 cal. Or. in other words, we must
 make a thorough study of the scien- l tific principles which underlie the va I rious phases of practical science and then make practical application
 of them upon the farm, if we may hope l to obtain the most gratifying results. Profession and Attainment. Tn order to link together the two
 parts of our topic. viz: Farming
 and profession. it will be well to in- quire into the definition of the term. lexicons defines a profession to be a lcalling, or occupation, which one pro-
 fesses to understand and to follow. This definition might, h6wever, easily ap- ply in the case of the farmer we tried previously to describe, as It is some
 what difficult matter to find one of this class who does not profess to un-
 derstand all about farming; and he
 follows his occupation. that is, when | he Is not otherwise engaged.
 But there is & further definition: The word. profession. implies pro- | fessed attachments in special knowl- | edge, as distinguished from mere skill.
 This latter would, perhaps. moro near | ly apply in the case of the exponent, 1 or practitioner of modern agricultural
 science. That is to say, the one who
 masters the many branches of natural
 and applied sciences in connection practically and successfully applies
 these in his daily operations upon the
 farm. Is indeed. professional, and is | as much entitled to be classed g.
 member of a profession as is the doc | tor or the lawyer, or. in fact, any
 member of the learned professions. sd-
 called. because the science of agri- | culture. in the broad acceptation of | the term, embraces a wider and more
 varied field of study and research than
 Is required in any other of the pro-
 fessions today.
 In short, recent article in The | American Farmer the question is ask ed: Why do not the farmers insist upon their rightful place? It is the farmer we are depending upon for our prosperity. The answer to farming as | profession Is the same as that which
 has been given parallel questions in ! church and school" Preaching" says | this Journal. twas a sort of pick up-
 work indulged in by all boy preachers | who could shout 'amen,' until the | church took up ministry as a profess l sion. when men were duly educated for | purpose by methods. Similar history 1 is found in connection with the medical
 profession. Each year the task became
 more difficult; the grade a little high
 CT. It Is the same with the legal pro-
 fession; and today America says that l teaching must be made a profession"
 The Farmer states further: we want farming dignifed as one of the profes- l sions, and farmers as professionals, not | slip-shod pick-ups.
 | There Is no work that requires
 higher grade of training or special
 qualifications than that of farming. The
 present day happy-go-lucky class of
 farmers degrade the profession; and
 there will come a stronger revolution
 from this class to an earnestness in 1 keeping with the high work. There Is 1 hope that when our young men who | graduate from our agricultural col- leges will be sent to occupy the farm
 CTS chair" that they will have in their
 heart such a love for the soil that they will stay there. We welcome all efforts
 that are being put forth to establish farming as a profession, as in this man. l ner 1t will take its place as the chief power in the prosperity and advance
 ment of a great nation"
 The popular demand today In the | products of the farm is for the very
 best. and the time Is fast passing when
 tho "old rut" system of farming will | prove to be remunerative. Old systems,
 therefore. must give place to new ones
 which are in greater harmony with the | progressive spirit of the times.
 l More productiveness in our soils Is | needed. This must be obtained by
 analysis, both physical and chemical, | IaAIv