The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-16
FARMERS VISIT
TO B B n J 5 4. !
Will Reault, in Great Good ito
Virginia Agrictil-
a# tire.
NEW AND BETTER / IDEAS
Scientists Also Learn That Farm
crs Think on i independent
Lines.

ers Think on independent
Lines.
Especial From staff Correspondent)
ROANOKE, VA, July 15.--The three Of
four hundred delegates to tho farmers
Institute who spent yesterday ut tho
State experiment station at Blacksburg
had to admit, OF course, that they were
surprised to see tho work being accom-
plishcd In behalf OF agriculture In Vir-
ginia. An exclamation point was apt to
appear Iii the speech Of every one Of the
agriculturalsts at intervals Of about five
minutes. It expressed approval about as
frequently as surprise
This attitude Of surprised delight on tho
part of the visitors gave undisguised
pleasure to the members of tho faculty.
but am bound to say the gentlemen OF
theory rs we'll rs practice were occa-
sionally surprised by The visitors. On
several occasions unassumlng listeners to
the explanations being given by the pro-
fcssors Indicated surprising familiarity
with the subjects discussed. More than
once some visitor put question which
Indicated notso much acutencss of mind
as that he had been pursuing independent
lines of thought for himself.
A Valuable Trip.
Mr.. Joseph Wilmer, whose dairy farm
near Rapidan, Culpeper county, is well
known throughout Virginia, and who Is a
moving spirit In the institute, remarked
yesterday that the trip ito Blacksburg
would add thousands ofiSdollars yearly
to the revenue Of the State.@N he, farmers
take home ideas which, they apply, and
which adds to the fertility, and Of course
the taxable value Of the farms, Z he
said. lit would pay the StateFto make
the most liberal provisions for holding
farmers Institutes. The money would be
more than paid hack insthe form Of in
crease In tax values"
I'LL This method of indicating the value OF
farmers institutes and the wisdom Of
State appropriations in aid Of all that
gives the farmer new and better ideas,
was somewhat novel. It is not believed
the statement Of fact It contains can
be successfully contradicted. The appll-
cation Of scientific principles In the Gull
tivation of the soil In the Valley, Pied
mont and the Southwest especially have
made those sections to blossom like the.
rose. The books of the land assessors OF
Piedmont and the Valley have borne evil
dence of this great increase In values in
the last quarter injury The increase is.
no less evident in the Southwest, but the
fast is not indicated on the land books as
a rule.
The State of Virginia has spent Is
spending and will expcnd a great deal
of money at Backsburg. 1t was hardly
possible to get fair idea of the total
benefit OF the farmers Graduates Of
other departments Of the school have,
attracted so much attention that the
farmers are prone to think the purely
agricultural work at the school is being
neglected. Such Is far from the fact! 4
The College Farm.
There are about 100 acres 1.-the col
lege farm. Part of, the land is owned by
the State. and A. portion is leased. Farm
Ing Is carried lonN on a large scale, and
while the crops cultivated&on the farm,
are closely watched for purposes of
science, the farm Is not experimental A
large field Of corn growing on the col
lege farm Is tho most advanced I have
seen In Virginia this year. The land
embraced In this farm Is only fairly
fertile, but 1t is ideally located, and It
lppearn l''t,e oSs,y AZ t,,,o,t.. n,,a
hAtural,s ohe n"lu,Gu ~ n.y.
acres VI eo'i' ~, a.e 49,.
anu enousn ny 20 >, $3.50 80 . nuppi -
'he nee's " Tue =. oas
on thc ID" lhe Nus. M
IS kept .! ev.'y i, W. ,s ononn,o,s -
laoor '. NV w., n,,,,,,a,. ~, ,,,,,ro-
Over l5o mead OF an!lnals' an pure
bred, are kept on me urn, ~ auu' ~
to some grade cattie anu ~, =, ses. ~
most accurate reco,u posssoae - ~. =.
the entire career OF GU VI ou,. w W. =
on inc iarm Inc prec,s s,,a ma NV ,,,, ,i,
the nature OF inc 1000 Eye. We NY.
COWS, FOR instance, tosether VIII t ,te
amount OF m,lk gwen ually' anu 80 80
ANALYSIS. hre KEEP. on u' nv, .,sa"s -
gate rs are endeavoring. 70 aeterlnihe me