Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-09-27
WHAT A MODEL FARM is.
And why There should he One In
Every AKricuitu nj CDunty.

And why There should he One In
Every AKricuitu nj Cvunty.
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 its most profitable
uses, might be established in every agA
ricultural 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 a 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 aud 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 working model for common in
struction.
Such model farm should not con-
tain more than thirty or forty acres
This area would be ample for work
ing purposes. 1t would also prove the
economic advantage of the small well
TILED farm over n larger holding, to
which equal care could not be given.
Labor can be utilized more effectively
and the yield per acre increased with
out any decline in fertility.
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 as
signed. to these five crops respectively,
with regular annual rotation, so that
each field should grow all the different
crops In their turn. Such alienation,
even without other aid, has been found
so congenial to the soil as to give crops
greatly exceeding those obtained by
the usual method in this country, of
sowing the same land to the same
thing year after year. Actual trial at
experiment stations under conditions
that any farmer may reproduce shows
an average product over series of
years nearly twice as great as the av-
erage 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 70 rye, barley, potatoes, fod-
der corn and garden and forage plants.
A judlcious system of rotation on these
lesser areas also, will show how greatly
productive power may be increased
and at how high level 10 may be
kept. Such n farm will carry some
cattle, hogs and poultry, together with
the horses required for working II.
A careful utilization of manure Will
supply most of the fertilizer needed.
One valuable lesson taught by the
model farm must be the Importance
of enriching the soil with fertllizing
material either supplied by live stock
or procured from without. The farm
er has TO guard against the impair
ment OF his working capital, which IL
the land, as carefully as the merchant
or manufacturer must guard against
the wasting of his.-James j. Hill in
| Century