The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1907-11-01
FREE TALKS
ON AGRICULTURE
Soil Survey and Demonstration
Work Explained by Author
lied Agents Of u. S.

Last Saturday afternoon Con-
gresham j. T. Watkins Of the
Fourth Congressional District,
arrived here accompanied by
Messrs. j. A. Evans, practical
demonstration of farm work; ia.
Caine, soil surveyor, and <. j.
Gigleaux, employed under the
direction of the United States
Department of Agriculture. They
came to meet an appointment
made to address tho people of this
town and vicinity. Owing to the
shortness of the notice the atten-
dance was small to what it should
have been.
Mr.. Wesley Boyett was called
to preside at the meeting. He
introduced the speakers with a
few appropriate words. regretting
the small attendance. He first
introduced 7. A. Game, who is
now engaged in the soil survey of
VIM parish under the supervision
of the United States Department
of Agriculture, which he will
complete in about six weeks. MIR.
Game said his work was being
published in pamphlet form for
each parish, with colored maps
showing the different strata OF
soil throughout its various Sec
tons, what. kind of products could
be successfully grown and what
kind of fertilizers were needed,
if any, to make it productive.
The various soils of Winn were
similar to those in Tangipahoa
parish, only better, where Hung
arians and Italians were cultivat-
ing fruits and truck gardens. The
Hungarians employed in this WORK
made lndu strious and successful
cuItivators and were good citizens.
The Italians were not their equals,
but he thought in time would
make useful citizens and expert
cultivators. All kinds of garden
products, peaches, strawberries
and other fruits were raised end
were readily disposed of to drum
mers who purchased them on the
ground. The soil of VIM, be
found by comparison, was better
adapted for fruit growing and
garden truck of every variety than
the soil of Tsngipahoa. The bot
tom lands and heavy clay was
adapted to the cultivation sue
cessfully of alfalfa and kindred
plants. About Atlanta there Is q
strong, nutritious formation, and
about Gainesville it is particularly
adapted to the cultivation of to-
bacco. The sandy, gravel soil
impregnated with iron, was good
| for q great many products, as well
rs the stiff marlem land. The
section around ST. Maurice was q
red, sandy subsoil good for truck,
peaches, Irish potatoes, etc. He
had been over the parish thor,
oughly and knew its formations,
Mr.. j. A. Evans, representing
the demonstration farm work,
made q strong and earnest ad.
dress filed with illustrations BY
comparisons that were most pot
ent, but from which only the mosl
salient points are taken. He said
cotton could be successfully grown
despite the boil wee,il. 1t was
fright and the decentralization oil
the farmers that did more, actua
damage than the pests themselves
In 1904. thousands of acres ol
land on the Brazos in Texas wers
idle because the farmers did no,
understand the situation, anG
lcrops were q failure. Consequent
~ credit was stopped because
there was no cotton raised, thu
bankers refused to advance Of
lend money, the merchants De
came bankrupt or refused al
credlt and the people were in ,
distressed and needy condition
Depending on cotton they had nj
home resources.
i A fight was inaugurated on th'
boil weeyil through demonstration
work on 1--WE or ten acres of land
Under instructions from the Dep
artment of Agriculture, by th'
next February, 10000 co-opera
tlves were enrolled and the result
was . great crop was made. Con
lfidence began to be restored. Mr.
Evans then outlined the necessar,
steps to be taken. The firstthinI
Twas to inaugurate plans to live q
home, without making cotton q
the main crop. In Texas they hat
no meat, no money, no credit ant
were il q most distressing plight
II In fiff&eu months the hanka Wer,