The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-16

bors. Tho writer and his associates Pro-
fessors Davidson and Ferneyhough, have
seldom beer, B more severely tested n nan IAN
by tile audiences met on TINS trip, LOT
questions were addressed thick ana l In,.l
to the speakers and they sno"ea ci ,.,.l,
that the farmers were thinking a'la my, IN
Ing seriously oyer the many probiefns tna at
come, up FOR solution under the present,
complex system Of agricultural practl Is
which composition and changed economic
conditions have brought aDout.
No single Interest can claim the atten-
tiof, Of the farmers in Piedmont Virginia.
1hsthis section of the state dairying has
been more successfully developed 't1 man ~
elsewhere. owing to the proxlmii,tys ~ q
the citisss or Washington anu .t ; tinove,
there III "a steady and increasing demand.
for MIX. cream q nd butter at good prices.
The prices are not always just, for. I'M
fortunately, the farmers in this part OF
Athe State4iiaye not yet learned the value
OF ,co-operntion. and so have not COM
biired TO protect their interests as they
should Tho market for dalryins pro,
ducts sis#ail that could be desired, afid
when the Aproducers get toSothei, tnetT
profits, will be vastly Increased, thtreny
without placing any nddltlonal p W q
on the consumer.
Cattle Raising.
Piedmont Virginia also handles q nd yet 5e4 :
tens a large number of beef cattle. Graz lHll. !.
ing is not developed to the same eStcn 7
Sinis.this section of the State n5S IN the
Southwest, because blue grass does not
always take so kindly to the soil, and
somehow or. other It is more or less true
everywhere that farmers VINO cannot set
blue grass often conclude that other
grasses cannot be grown to advantage.
and the virtues Of orchard grass and tai
oat grass Nor grazing purposes seem g
have been largely overlooked AZ WE Is IS
natural under these conditions nat g ne
silo and 4crops for the same should prove
TO BIO a subject OF general interest,", for
the silo will add vastly to the carrying
capacity Of Piedmont lands and provide
succulerit and nutritious crops TO take me
place Of grass. both summer ana winter.
The silo will be invaluable to the dairy
man OF this section, as IT, provides al
easy and Cheap method OF SUBSTITUTING ,E 8
a desirable food for the more expensive e1fsl
method OF soillng, which Is now 2 TOO gen gen
orally fpracticcd. W.
The question OF securing concentrates
In a desirable form at the lowest cost
wa 4 eenlytidiscussed and It Is n pleas
ure to know that the feeding value OF
cotton seed meal Is probably more gen.
orally recognized here than elsewhere.
Its use, however, is far from general and
can be extended to- advantage54in i ,'le
kuture. II was also pointed out that
many leguminous crops, which provide
hay Of superior quality. can be srownf t.
ADVANTAGE Sard utilized for the era ing 81
hogs or as ad juncts In feeding beet mn
dairy cattle and effect a. consid era bic
saving in8 the more expensive concen.
l5trates which are now purchased Il a ut
utilized for that purpose. vs. \.
| 1T seems, from various statements MACS 10
that the soils OF this region need treat 7
ment With lime say, at the rate OF TWEEN
gty-fveI to nifty bushels per acre. once "
three TO Aye years. The unslaked & Inns
should be purchased and utilized Tor TINS
purpose as far as practica bic. mos
pilates and potash are undoubte dlv3 need le'
ed. as well as plentiful supplies Of vegc,
table matter and nitrogen. which, how.
ever. should Gbe obtained through an m ex *
tension Il OF the live stock Interests o.
through the utilization of leguminous
| crops. Deeper, more thorough and per-
slstentj cultivation Of the soil will bring
its Just reward.
All these problcms are receiving thefl
quota Of attention, and with the enc ur tlt
ing forces now, at work through farmers
| Institutes, through thegSe efforts Of the
State; Experiment Station. and through
/ the dissemination OF useful litera ture Il
\ the form 81 I bulletins and agricultural
papers, theo{uture OF this section is Ger
| tainlyj enc ol.raginl a. II v 5isI q
i E. tANDREW NJ. SOULE.
i Virginia Experiment. Station.