The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-03-25

We need practice and experience instead of so much theory. 4
 I cannot take time or space here to go into the full details of this great ques- tion, on which pages might be written, but I have outlined a few of the most important matters which 1t Is to be hoped that our corn growers associations will take up and enlarge upon in their work of teaching corn growing.
 Agricultural News.
 On Saturday, March 10. I commenced four weeks course of lectures for the territory of Northern Arkansas and Southeast Missouri. From Jonesboro we went to Walnut Ridge, where we had a great meeting. The judge adjourned court gave me the court house, jury, wit nesses and crowd. My next place was Pocahontas, Ark. Here l had one of the largest and most enthusiastic crowds that 1t has ever been my pleasure to address. The weather was cold and bad, yet the court house was packed and everyone seemed interested
 Our work for March will be in the great delta between Memphis and St. Louis. Through this Egypt of America there are thousands of acres of land as rich and fertile as the great Nile valley. There is as yet a vast amount of valuable timber all through this section. One thing above all others that has prevented the devel- opment of this country from an agricul tural point of view is the fact of it's be- ing overfiowed by the great rivers. Ths is now being changed by a system of drainage and storage canals, which will either carry off the water or store 1t so as to prevent these over1ows. When this system of drainage Is completed this will bt one of the greatest agricultural sec tions of the world, as here a great variety of crops may be grown.
 Great crops of corn, cotton, wheat, oats, Irish potatoes, watermelons and a largo line of fruits and vegetables are grown in this section. Thousands of cars of wa termelons are shipped from this valley every season to the northern markets. The old Kolb's Gem watermelon, origin ated and introduced by Colonel Kolb Of Alabama, is yet the favorite watermelon of this section for shipping. I am now introducing and distributing seed here of the Alabama Sweet another great melon. Cauteloupes, too are grown here for shipment.
 The bad weather of the past week has greatly retarded all farm operations. To- day, March 16. we are at Poplar Bluff, Mo, and 1t is showing.
 A New Feature.
 A new feature of my work as conducted this winter is to go to all the public schools and deliver lectures on the i'm
 
 the value of having primary agriculture taught in the schools. This part of the work is pleasant and very interesting and in this way much good can be accom- plished. the idea being to educate the boys and girls back to the farms. It is truly wonderful and encouraging to see how these lectures please the school children and to see the interest they take in tho matter. After the lectures the children visit the exhibition car, where they are shown seeds of all kinds and here they are informed as to the uses of the various crops and told where each ls being grown. There Is another great ad- vantage gained by taking this matter to the schools. The children go home and tell what they saw and in this way get their parents interested and at the next meeting the parents are there In this way the children are help to me and we leave behind impressions that are not soon forgotten.