The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-04-14
MAKING THE FARMS PAY.

of the breeding division, Department OF
Agriculture, who accompanied the "corn
special" through Western Maryland Fri:
day and Saturday, the realization by the
farmers Of the Importance of selecting
seed for their crops and the consistent
pursuit of this principle through their
work would result in An increase in all
crops which would almost, if not quite,
keep pace with the growth OF the demand
and would add millions of dollars to the
annual value of agricultural products.
The simple little seed box, easily made
on any farm, easily kept and requiring no
scientific knowledge, reduces the problem
at which farmers have been cropping in
darkness like a man searching tor the
philosophers stone to mathematical
precision which is wonderful in its simpli-
city. What the farmer learned by slow
stages, some of it through tradition from
father to son, some of it gathered from
farmers meetings, some Of it the result
of individual experience and observation,
but all of it involving great waste of
human energy and unnecessary loss OF
actual money value, may now be grasp
ed with exactitude.
Of course, there are few wealthy man
whose land is used more for recreation
than for serious pursuits. who have been
applying scientific methods to the tilling
of their soil. On the great farms of the
West and Southwest scientific methods
are used, but the mass of the small far
mers still work" their land by traditie-
nary methods. DR.. Weber and other
members Of the Department of Agricul-
ture are trying to carry scientific knew
ledge right into the midst of men like the
farmer at Union Bridge, who said last
Friday:
"Tell me how to farm after I've been
doing it 80 years! Well, I guess not!'
The seed box can be applied to the test
ing of seed tobacco as we'll as corn, and a
tobacco special" to one of the lower
counties of Maryland is among the cru
sades in prospect DR.. Weber, who Is
also cotton expert, has made a: arrange
ments to lecture on "cotton special
tour through Texas in August, and so the
work of grating the new limb of scien-
tifc knowledge on the old tree of farming
is going on.
The agricultural experiment stations,
supported by the Federal Government
and scattered throughout the States, have
been doing good work in this regard for
years; as a rule without financial aid from
the States they benefit. Some farmers
have been attending them for long time,
but more have not. Those who have been
attending have in many cases sent their
sons to the agricultural colleges connect
ed with the experiment stations, where
the boys get general education and a
thorough knowledge of scientific farming.
The scientists say that this disposition is
growing and that the slow, Flooding one
who dips his living from grudging soil,
content to take what Nature seemed will
ing to give, is rapidly giving place to the
bright, enthusiastic man who gets up and
makes the earth unfold new mysteries of
fruitfulness. OF course, weather condi-
tions may still do much to make all his
work 20 for naught, but his other enem-
les are being rapidly put to rout, and it's
Hail to the scientific farmer!'
DR.. Weber was reared on farm in
Iowa. Short of statute and stout of
frame he possesses good digestion and
unfailing geed humor, which come from
youth spent on a farm. Because Of his
youth thus spent he is particularly en-
thusiastic in his work.
Breeding of seed is undoubtedly of the
first importance" said the doctor, as he
sat at a window of the lecture car Of the
"corn special" and watched the wooded
heights of the Blue Ridge give place to
the fertile farms of the Cumberland Val
lev, their outlines stretched before one in
a miniature made by distance. ut is care
in the selection of seed which has pro-
duced the sugar beet of Europe, the intro
duction of more nitrogen, more vitality,
into the beet. A search for proper seed
enabled farmer in the Northwest to pro-
duce an apple which would grow in the
cold climate of Minnesota and adjacent
States. He grated the crabapple OF an
other.
cit is care in the selection of seed which
has enabled some of the farmers in the
Western States to increase their wheat
Weld between three and five bushels an
acre by the introduction Of the more
hardy blue stem wheat. You have about
II, ZOO, 600 acres planted in wheat in Mary
land. Suppose the 'blue-stem' was taken
up generally here-its broad making quail
tiles are as great as those of the ordinary
wheat-and suppose we made an increase
of three bushels to the acre in Maryland;
at the present price of wheat this would
mean a great increase in the wealth of the
State"
DR.. Weber said that the Department
of Agriculture had been experime nting
with the heavy macaroni wheat OF Europe,
very little Vt which is raised here. "The
experiments proved" he continued, "that
there is no reason why it should not be
raised here. 1t is coarser than our own
wheat and not as good for bread. but it
would prove valuable crop, and it grows
Mr.. C. Bosley Littig, Mr.. W. L. Amoss
md all of the members of the ''corn-spec-
ap' party said at the end of the trip that