The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-30
WHAT A MODEL FARM is.
And Why There Should Be One. In
Every Agricultural County.

James j Hill, in Century
For less than single item in many
of the annual appropriation bills a
model farm, conducted as practical
object lesson in the best methods of
filling the soil and It's most profitable
uses, might be established in every ag-
gricultural county in the United States.
1t is worth considering whether this
work should not be undertaken either
| by the several state governments or by
the national government or by the two
conformity.
A model farm is simply farm con-
forming In size, in treatment of the
soil, in assignment to different crops
and their rotation and in methods of
| culture to the most approved practice
| that actual experience and scientific In
vestigation of agriculture all over the
world have fixed. 1t focuses upon one
plot of ground, within the personal OBJ
servation of each farming community,
the accumulated knowledge of one of
the oldest occupations, which must
now become more highly specialized.
1t is a working model for common in
struction.
Such a model farm should not con-
tain more than thirty or forty acres.
This area would be ample for working
purposes. 1t would also prove the eco
| nomic advantages of the small, we'll
titled farm over a larger holding, to
which equal care should not be given
Labor can be utilized more effectively
and the yield per acre increased with
Ollt apv dopIiuo IL, fortiIitv
On such farm five tracts might be
set off for crops in due rotation. The
order of hay, pasture, oats, corn and
wheat has been found an excellent one.
The five tracts would be assigned to
these five crops, respectively, with reg
ular annual rotation, so that each field
should grow all the different crops in
their turn. Such alienation even with
out other aid, has been found SO con-
genial to the soil as to give crops great
| ly exceeding those obtained by the
usual methods in this country. of SOW
ing the same land to the same thing
year after year. Actual trial at expert
| ment stations under conditions that
any farmer may reproduce shows an
average product over series of years
nearly twice as great as the average
product of the general farming area
under private cultivation.
The remainder, aside from the space
occupied by farm buildings and yards.
could be divided into smaller plots of
from an acre upward to be devoted,
according to need and use, to pastur-
age and to rye, barley, potatoes, fod-
der corn and garden and forage plants.
A judicious system of rotation on these
lesser areas also will show how greatly
productive power may be increased and
at how high level it may be kept.
Such farm will carry some cattle,
hogs and poultry, together with the
horses required for working it. A care
full utilization of manure will supply
most of the fertilizer needed. One
valuable lesson taught by the model
farm must be the Importance of en-
riching the soil with fertilizing mate
rial either supplied by live stock. or
procured from without. The farmer
has to guard against the impairment of
his working capital which is the land.
as carefully as the merchant or manu-.
facturer must guardAagainst the vast.
ing of his