The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1904-04-15

to make a careful study of the bust
ness side of the farmers work. In
ether words, it is our aim to reduce
sc ence to practice as much as posi-
BILE, and to have a more direct influ-
ence upon actual practice in agricul-
ture than it is possible to have merely
by discovering scientific facts and an
nouncing them to the farmer One of
the principal methods we use in the
work of this office is what we cal
demonstration work" To illustrate
what | mean by this, l will take the
case of the cotton work in the state OF
Texas 1t has been learned by inves-
tigators, since the advent of the cot
tcn-boll weevil which is playing hav-
oc with the cotton crop in Texas, that
by securing early varieties of cotton,
planting early and giving thorough
tillage, and then in the fall season, as
soon as the cotton is picked, remov-
ing every vestige of the crop from the
field, it is possible to produce half
crop of cotton, even when the weeV1l
is present. We find it is not sufficient
simply to announce these facts. The
department has employed DR.. S. A.
Knapp, of Lake Charles, Louisiana,
one of the most prominent agrlcultur-
lists of the south, who has organized
scheme whereby eight or ten thousand
farmers are to grow few acres OF cot
ton this year under his direction. He
or one of his assistants visits the
farmer, explains the methods and gets
the farmer to sign an agreement to
follow them. A representative of the
department then visits this farmer as
often as practicable during the sum-
DDS recommended. We keep careful
records of the work done by these
farmers and the results they obtain,
and shall publish them in due time.
In this way, we hope to have an imme-
date and important effect on the
methods of growing cotton in the sec
ton threatened by the cOttOn-boll Vice.
vii. Another example: The difficulty
of growing cotton in the section which
has been invaded by the cotton-boll
Weevil together with the fact that
the continuous cropping with cotton
has exhausted the rich soils of the
central southern states, leads us to
believe that the south would profit by
diversifying their crops; but when you
make a suggestion of this kind, it is
usually met by the statement that cot
ton is the only thing the southern
farmer can sell, and it is very difficult
to get them to attempt to grow other
things. With view to aiding in di
versification of southern agriculture,
we are establishing about thirty small
farms down there to be known as 'di-
VersificatiOn farms"
l have just returned from a trip on
which l organized five of these farms
and started them off this spring; the
others will be organized in time for
work this fall. These farms are to be
run, generally, as livestock farms with
the idea of encouraging cattle and
hog raising. We are also giving con-
siderable attention to trucking, as
there is a good market for truck crops
over the south on account of their
earliness. Our method of conduct
ing this work is, first, to find a farmer
who is willing to let us direct him.
| then visit the farm, in connection
with a representative from the state
experiment station, select commit
tee of about dozen of the most pro-
gressive and successful farmers in the
community, explain to them what it is