The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-13
John H. Jeffries, of Flor
ida Selected.
TRANSFER NOT MADE
But 1t is expected That the Deal Will
Be Perfected This Week-.-WOrk
viii Begin Immediately On the
Farm. Supt. Ieffries Comes
From University Of Florida.
From University Of Florida.

Mr.. John H. Jefferies, of the Uni
versity of Florida, gardener and
horticulture foreman of that institu-
ton, has been selected by the State
Department of Agriculture as super
intendent of the State Test Farm, to
be located at Willard, Pender county.
Mr.. Jefferies is a man of wide ac-
quaintance in this field of labor,
and has had fifteen years experience
in truck growing, and comes well pre-
pared for this work. His knowledge
extends thoroughly over every line of
experiment work to be carried on at
the test farm. He will come to North
Carolina in a few days, and will be-
gin his occupation on the test farm at
once. He has already resigned his
position with the University of Florida
and has delayed coming to North
Carolina until the State has entire
control of the land at Willard.
The deed has not yet been trans
ferred. but the papers will be received
at the department today. and it is
expected that the deal will be per-
fected this week.
The site will be transformed into a
modern model farm. 1t will have the
best system of scientific irrigation,
which is practicable on every farm.
The immediate work on the land will
be to plant the cleared land in corn,
COW peas, and small acreage of cotton
After these crops are provided for
additional land will be cleared, and
preparations will then be made for
the fall and winter truck crops.
Vast interest has been taken in the
a licsI11 n
throughout the entire eastern coun-
ties, and locations were offered from
the SouthFCarolina border counties to
the Virginia line.
The land chosen for the test farm
is between Willard, Fender county,
and Wallace, Duplin county. The
farm Is situated on the Atlantic Coast
Line railway and a mile north of Will
lard. 1t was secured from Mr.. j. M.
Johnson, merchant, and postmaster
of Willard, who has 800 acres of clay
sub-soil, and in part is shell mari
within two feet of the surface. The
lands are wonderfully productive,
berries and potatoes and vegetables of
all kinds flourish, and the acreage of
cultivation has been increasing, but
will now be greatly extended, owing
to the impetus given by the test farm.
Willard station shipped 10000 crates
(300 crates to the carr of strawber-
ries last year, and has barrels of
white potatoes. Several small saw
mills near by ship considerable lum-
Der.
The growth of the village has been
prohibited by a nonresident. but ex-
tensive landowner who refused to sell
on any considerations, but people with
smaller holdings have determined to
build the village, which has three
stores, a Ncommodious railway station,
a little saw mill and a coterie of cot
tages.
The committee which selected the
site, had as it's object, to find the
place in North Carolina whose soil
was most representative of the truck
farming section, and Willard was
chosen, as it's soil is not over culti-
waited, as that near Wilmington, and
it is representative of the soil of the
whole section.