The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-08
Talks with Farmers
BY Prof. w. +. Massey.
DIR. SalInon's Place.


! regard to the Bureau of Animal In
iustry of the. Department of Agricul-
| turc, we have learned That the law re-
ouires that the head of that bureau
| shall be a veterinarian. This, or
| course would not interfere with MAX
| ing the bureau of broader scope If
the proper man is at the head of it,
| and we are glad to learn that DR..
Pearson, of this State, is prominently
mentioned for the position His going
| to WASHINGTON would be a loss to
| PENNSYLVANIA, but there is no man in
| his profession better fitted to carry out
the work of the Bureau. The Secreta-
! ry could make no better appointment.
| Carbon hi Oxide from Plant Roots.
A Russian scientist has been study
| ing the amount of carbon di oVlde set
free from the roots of plants during
! their development. 1t is we'll known
! that carbon di oVide. or carbonlc ac1d.
rs it is commonly called, is one OF the
most powerful agents in the solution
of plant food i'm the soil. 1t was found
that a plant of mustard during the
whole period of it's growth liberated
in the soil 22.437 grams of carbon dl
oxide. This will be enOughh 70 ac-
count for a great deal that takes place
in the soil which the chemists analy-
sis does ret reveal, and will show us
how matters they call irsoluble are
made available to plants in the soil
through he action OF the roots CT the
plants themselves. In this experiment
with the mustard it was shown that
the amount of carbon di oxide evolved
was sufficient to render soluble ali
the elements of the ASH of the eGtire
plant if it were necessary to assiml-
late these from insoluble matters. The
phosphorus in pulveriZed rock is de-
clared neoluble by chemists. But we
know that plants do get and use it,
and the above is some indication OF
how they do it. The study of soils ana
roots in the soil is but at the begin
ming point, and there is a great deal
yet to learn, and far more than eau
be learned in the chemical laboratory.
Agriculture in Rural Schools. (
The teaching Of agriculture In the
rural schools was discussed at the re-
cent meeting Of the National Educa-
tional Association held at Asbury
Park, N. J. The discussion was
brought about by the report OF the
committee on industrial education in
rural schools This committee was
appointed at the meeting in Boston
in 1903. The report was voluninous
one. covering 100 pages. In general
the committee held that the rural
schools. which train so per cent. of
the population of the country, should
realize that by far the larger number
of their pupils will remain on the
farms and that they should therefore
receive such technical instruction as
will better fit them for farm life. But
what we consider rather odd, the COM
mittee discouraged the Introduction or
agriculture into country schools hay
ing but one teacher. 1t is true if the
teacher is compelled TO teach mat
tiers about which he knows nothing
a Iii .lNflt tn 90
But with the excellent elementary
books now published we can see no
reaG&on why any intelligent teacher
cannot teach such a book as easily as
she could Il book on geography, and
if the teacher himself. or herself. takes
any interest i'll the matter, there is an
Of material all about them
for study, and as the great majority
of the rural schools are schools with
but one teacher, very little agricul- |
tural instruction will be done if these
are excluded. The true method will
be to require the teachers to teach. |
and not only t. teach. but to prepare
themselves for. teaching aSgrieuiture.
And the high schools shculd tah6. NJ /
and enlarge en- the subject SO that
they can prepare boys for the colleges |
of agriculture in such Il manner that
the COURSE of study in the. colleges may
ID, abtrexiat cd. AND more accomplish |
ed in a shorter period thar is row
done in four years. when tho student |
has to do primary work in college.
Some single teachers may fail in this |
as some do in other branches. but |
that is no reason for shutting out the
single teacher school.
Tho Work of the Cow Pea i'm the South |
Said II farmer to the editor at the |
recent State convention of the farm |
ers Of North Carolina: 81 have been |
reading The Practical Farmer for |
years. and / want to thank you for
myself, aud for the farmers of the |
South for your consistent advocacy |
of The COW pea. Until you hammered |
it into us so constantly, We did not
realize the prize we had III the COW |
pea. | have been trying to follow the |
hints you have given, and today my |
farm is worth twice as much as it 7
was ten years ago" When one farm
err acknowledges that ten years read /
ing of The Practical Farmer, at a |
cost, i'm his club. of IS, has added |
thousands of dollars to the value of
his farm. while enabling him to make |
more and moro money from increased |
crops, who can estimate the value of
the paper to the hundred thousand |
people who read it weekly Can any
agency for the uplifting of mankind |
in u material way compare in value |
with a good farm paper that sticks
to its task and gets right down TO the |