The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13
BY II. j.. STEVENS.

l. That there are facts pertaining
to agriculture which are not generally
known to the farmer, yet which, II
they were known to him would in
crease the efficiency of his efforts.
2. That these facts are of teachable
nature
! Let us consider for a moment the
validity of these propositions. /. Are
there any facts with which many OF
the most of the farmers are not now
! familiar, knowledge of which would
be useful to him? To my mind there
is no doubt of the existence of multi
| tudes of such facts. facts concerning
! tilIage, seeding, seed selection, and
the protection of the plant against in
sect enemies; facts concerning breed
! ing, care, feeding and protection
| against diseases, of live stock; facts
concerning rural economics generally;
concerning good roads, education,
| reading matter, etc.
To be specific l would call attention
to the great good that would be done
| if the farmers of the State in general
| could be brought to realize the i'm
portance of proper methods in care
! and selection of seeds for next years
crop. In dealing with animals it is
universally admitted that like pro-
duceS like. In a vague sort of way
the same belief prevails with refer
ence to plants, and yet how little
practice is based upon such belief! In
many sections neither cotton nor corn
seeds are selected with any knowledge
of the characters of the parents. of
! the seed. Surely if the seed for the
next years crop be taken from the
very best plants available, 1t would
produce larger yield than if it be
taken indiscriminately from the gin.
BY proper attention to seed selec-
ton practical corn growers in Illinois
have in ten years doubled the pro-
ductiveness of their corn. Three
years of seed selection served to length
en- the fiber upon the cotton plant
one-half of an inch.
In a similar way by selecting seeds
from the tallest flax plants for sew
eral years, the average height of the
flax plants was increased six inches.
On the other hand by selecting flax
seeds from plants producing most
seeds a very large increase in seed pro
ductiveness was obtained We need
but to look about us to see what selec-
ton COT cuttings) has done for us in
the case of, the strawberry, improv-
ing il from its small wild condition to
its present magnificent proportions
and lusciousness.
Concerning the protection of our
plants against insects, and fungus dis
eases much useful information eX-
ALL only too familiar, yet by proper
care it's occurrence can be almost
completely prevented In most sec
tons in our State, particularly in the
West, the black rot of the grape pre-
walls to such an extent as to prohibit
grape culture unless proper precau-
tions be taken. Many farmers do not
know the remedy. Similarly concern
ing the scab, of apples and pears, the
scab of peaches, and the fire blight
of apples and pears. Nor is the knoWl-
edge universal that the rust of the APP
pie passes it's winter upon the cedar
tree Many farmers do not know how
to prevent the ravages of the peach
| tree, yet such knowledge is readily
available.
Inquiry in any school district will
usually reveal that a very small per
centage of the parents residing in the
district, often in fact no one at all,
only by the practice of budding and
| grating of trees and shrubs yet 1t is
| only by the practice Of budding and
grating that the choicest and most
productive varieties of the most fruits
| can be grown successfully. l do not
wish to attempt to be exhaustive, but
| simply to indicate a few of the facts
which at present are not widely
known, and yet which would be SER
viceable if they were known to the
| farming community.
| The point of next importance is the
| teachability of these agricultural facts.
| One of the most important factors
| contributing to the teachability of
subject is the interest of that subject.
| to the people to whom it is to be
| taught Are the various agricultural
subjects of interest? The answer GER
tainly must be affirmative, both from
prlori judgment and from the evil
dence of experience.
1t is hardly conceivable how any
subject could have more direct bear
ing upon the surroundings of the
country child than facts of agricul-
ture. They deal with the things
with which he is familiar and those
things which appeal to him.
Thousands of teachers i'll the United
States during very recent years have
taught agriculture, and there is a
practically unanimous interest of the
ordinary child in the rural school us
is agriculture.
Those teachers who have under
taken the work in our schools are al
ways most enthusiastic over it, They
speak in glowing terms of the enthu-
siasm of their pupils when the time
for the recitation of agriculture ar
rives. Not q few have gone so far as
to say that by placing agriculture the
first thing in the morning they have,
indeed in a large degree been able TO
eliminate hardness, the pupils inter-
est in the subject being so great as to
displace his interest in Wayside loiter-
ing.
Not only is interest manifested by
the pupils but by the parents as
we'll. They become enthusiastic over
the agricultural work. The interest
in the school is deepened and intensi-
flied and agriculture in the schools in
many districts now forms the strong
est bond of sympathy between many
farmer and the school to which his
children go.
There is no question among those
who have had an opportunity to study
the subject and above all to see agri-
cultural teaching actually done, that
there are many facts to be taught and
that these facts are highly teachable
There is likewise of course no ques-
ton but that the outcome of this
teaching will be productive of good in
the farming community. Agriculture is
vast industry. More than eighty per
cent of the people are directly depend
ent upon it. 1t is the chief source of
the revenue of the State. Any i'm
which can he in,