The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-03

NA PVitlICo Wehc uCNGf t0tTOUuc61 OT ttnN speaker. He declared that the purpose of the institute was to make better farmers. Too many. he said. depend upon the little fertilizer they put In the ground to produce their crops. The labor qusstion Is a most import- ant one. A farmer thinks he can mo ss to town and look after his farm by gs : ing out to it now and then. Such . farm Is sure to deteriorate He insisted that there should be TO- tdtion of crops. Diversified farming was the hope of the farmer. If you plant cotton every year. md take all on, you take away from the soil,' he Said. This is true of corn and grasse :. You can't build up the soil by using only commercial fertilizer The farmer should not cultivate la;id except that which will produce bale of cotton to the acre, ..nd yet in Alabama 1t takes three actes on an average to produce a bale.
 One Of the finest things for buiilina up land Is the plentiny Of cowpeas, By this means, you secure a largs amount Of nitrogen for the land besides oh- tsining the best kind of hay"
 Professor Carey talked interestingly about alfalfa. This plant requires sweet soil; that Is. soil with .li. It will not flourish in m acid soil. 1t sh5aid be planted in rich ground, we'll matursd. Diversified forming cannot fe successfully carrlo1 on without plenty If live stock, for by this means su secure the best fertilizer in the World. The soil for his plant sh uia be as carefully prepared as for turnips. Alfalfa should be cut every tim. it blooms. When 1t Is we'll set, 1t can be cut shre@ or four dimes a year. and the land will be better at the and. When e. T -A will have less trouble from all ferns Of plant disease and insect disease.
 Prof. W. c. Smith of Washington, D.. C.. member of the GovernmSnt S, II Survey, read an interesting paper on this subject These surveys began in 1899. and Professor Smith has been ia the work from It's incertion. The soil, he said, was d complex labcr1ttry, with chemical. physical and biological fac tors.
 There are about 400 different kinds of soil In the United States. The tf- fcrt Is being made to classify these into families or groups, as their char3cter- istics are nctri. All soil Jrnes frO'u the disi1tegra tion or decay of rocks. The principle ingre dient is silica. The rocks are the great storehouse of plant food, and the supply is inexhlustiole. This disintegration Is a slow process,
 
 means of hasteninE the process.
 The Professor discussed the classia- cation of Alabaml soil. He has made a soil survey of Blount County and be nS ticed about Taila5egA soils similar to that in BIount County.
 In the North srn, or mineral section of Alabama, there are fcur groups Of soils. The adaptahitlty Of these soils to the different crops was discussed. and directions given In reg4rd to the use of lime, ane the beneficial effects of diverei6sI crcps.
 In preparing the soil survey reports the f"li men learn much from the farmer in regard to the different soilss and It is the desire of members of the Government bureau to be in close touch with the flrmer
 There were cnIy two speakers at the morning sessinn, but tbese- presented many practical sugge stions, which were highly appreciated by the farmers of Tsiiade6a County.
 The afternoon session of the Farm CTS Institute cTeued at 1880 with d fine attendance of farmers. First there was an orsn parliament in which many questions were put to the experts Pro- lessor Smith was questioned in regard to lining land.
 Professor Carey gave valuable lnfor- mation concerning tick fever. There Is only one kind Of tick that conveys the germ of fever to cattle, just as there Is one kind of mosquito that con- Veys yellow fever and one kind that conveys malarial fever. The history of these ticks was traced and 1t was shown how they operate in the differ ent seasons. They propagate much mere rapidly in summer than in winter though the life of the tick In summer is sh;rtsr than In winter. In summer they live from one to four months and In winter from one to seven months.
 If cattle become infected with ticks the plan 9y which to set rid of the ticks is to take the cattle out of the infected pasture and keep them in a new pasture tor twenty days; at the end of this period all of the ticks will have dropped off from the cattle. Then remove to the third pasture where they should be kept for another period Gf twenty days. Unless ticks get on cat tie they will not live over twenty days as they starve to death. By changing the pastures the tick can be extermi- mated. To guard against tick fever we should quarantine as we do against i yellow fever.
 Profess7r Carey suggested that the l farmers menorialize Congress to get | the Government to aid in getting rid l of this pest of cattle.
 Following this discussion the dog caE,s in for his shlre. Profe essor Carey declared that we could never raise { sheep successfully in Alabama until we i get rid of the dog.
 Many questions were asked in re gard | tc parasites of various kinds and rem edies were given for getting rid of them.
 An interesting time is expected to- morrow when several new speakers 1 will be on hand.
 Hon. J M. Thornton, who Is one of | the most successful scientific farmers In the State urged the farmers to at tend the institute. He said he had been in every county In the State ex- cept two and prosperity Is everywhere People are interested in good farms and In good roads and In places where the roads have been improved farm land has increased in value from 100 to 500 per cent.