The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-02

washington, July 1.-(Special.)- With a view to bringing about pet ter understanding between the De partment and the Southern Experi- .nent Stations, the Secretary or Agri- culture issued an invitation on June I3th to the directors of the stations In the principal cotton growing states inviting them to Washington Tor conference on matters pertaining to cotton work, especially In It's relatioh to meeting the ravages of the cotton boil weevil. At the"same time 1t was desired to have the directors at the meeting confer with several branches of the Department on reference 10 other important work in the South: All the directors invited responoeo and met in Washington on the morn ing of June 27th. The following direc- 'sofs were present: y
 pr. R. J. Bedding. Georgia; pr. ". L.. Hutchinson, Mississippi; Dr. B. w.. Kilgore, North Carolina; Dr. ". u. Vincenheller, Arkansas; Dr. P. H. Nell. South Carolina; Dr. J. F. Dug gar. Alabama: Dr. w. T. Dodson' Louisiana; Dr. J.. Fields. Oklahoma' pr. H. A. Morgan. Tennessee.
 The directors accompanied py seS eral officers of the Bureau first visited the Secretary and were received by him in his office The Secretary made a brief address, stating that the De- partment desired in every way 70 co- operate with the stations in the im portant work they were dolne' ana that 1t was the policy of the Depart ment to hold up the hands or n, .hs se.a e.a tion workers everywhere. The Secre- tary pointed out the urgent need TOT Inc careful consideration or the changes which must necessarily TOT low as the boil weevil advances east ward. as 1t undoubtedly would advance The meeting was then adjourned to tne lecture room in the onlce or oeeu ""' Plant Introduction.
 pr. B. T. Galloway. Chief of tne Bureau of Plant Industry, presided He first called on Dr. 8. A. Knapp to state the Plan of Conducting Co-op- eratiye work with farmers on cotton and other Crops. pr. Knapp responded, stating .ha' the work that had been assigned to hIro hv the Deuartment was How can The Department get close to the com mon people and induce them to do the things that we know they ought to do?"
 The First Farm.
 Having this in mind an initial 1arH was established at Terrell. Iexas. H organizing the farm a public meet ing of representative farmers and bus mess men was first held at which he outlined a plan which had been ar ranged by the Department. Thls plar was to have the people of communlty select a farmer, one of their oes' men. who was to cultivate the crops agreed uron In accordance with in structions to be given him by rep resentative Of the Department, the people to raise a fund to guarantee the farmer against possible loss re- sulting from the operation of the farm the farmer to receive any pront. Tn'
 -k-I 1vrattf act with the representative of the De partment in visiting the farm The crops selected were corn, cotton. ant oowpeas. The committee met pr Knapp once a month and visited th' farm to watch the progress made. 1T selecting the committee care was ex ercised to have only recognized lead CTS in the community act on the com mittee. All became greatly interested in the work because there was a none! consideration and the matter becam one of public notoriety. No fund were advanced by the Department Dr Knapp stated that at the end of tn season season a meeting was held and settlement made The farmer wa called on to give a book account 0 what had been done. The farme showed that he had made from $To' to $500 more on the seventy acres tha he had farmed in accordance with tn
 
 other plot of the same size on hi farm. The result of this test was tha practically all the farmers in tha county adopted the same plan. Di Knapp mentioned one farmer who fol lowed the plan of the Department fl cuItivating 450 acres. besides 200 acre additional in pasture. after paying fo the support of his family, cleared am put in bank a little over eight thous and dollars for the season
 Dr. Knapp went on to say thatther are three factors which make 1t pos stble to make the results obtained a Terrell more general. First. the De partment of Agriculture; second. tn State Experiment Stations. which ar a fountain of knowledge to be utilize and third, the wisdom which it 1 known the farmers possess but whicl 1t seems difficult to get them to pu into practice.
 Farmers Backward.
 He statei that the farmers will no visit the Experiment Stations and tha the problem to be solved Is how to ge the people to follow and put In prac tice the lessons that are alread known. Another result of the tes at Terrell was that the farmers qui politics and began talking crops. Th' plan of conducting these oo-operativ farms requires no money from tn Department. the farmer supplies tn land which may be large or a smal number of acres so long as 1t Is larg enough to make a comparison possibl between the methods of the Depart ment and those usually followed. order to get farmers interested fl the work agents representing the Dc partment were sent throughout tn, State for the purpose of holding meet ings and arousing interest and enthus iasm. These agents also served { prevent Encouragement arising in sec