The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-17
HUNDRE[S HEAR
 HOBSON'S EXPERTS
Episcopal Council Elects Depd- ties to Richmond Convention
NEXT MEET AT HAR TSELLE
Captain Hobson and Party of Govern ment Experts Make Luminous Talks to Representative
 Audience.

Greensboro. May Especial )-Captain Hobson and his party of experts spoke today in Greensboro to large and rep resentative audience. composed of farm CTS from all over the country and mem- bers of the Episcopal council, now in session in Greensboro. The speaking be- gan at half past F o'clock and con tinued withotu Interruption until o'clock this afternoon. many of the large au- dience going without any dinner. others Slipping out for a brief luncheon, trtn hurrying back to their places.
 Dr. J. A. Bonsteel was the first speaker introduced. He proceeded to tell the peo- pie more about soil and soil surveys than they probably ever heard before.
 There are" he avered, "forty-hve dis tinct soils in the state of Alabama and soils have as much Individuality as in dividuals themselves" This may account in part for the liking of negroes for red land. Alfalfa, he pointed out was one of the great crops for Alabama, and it developed means the pork industry and the dairy developed. The soil is also pe- cuiarly fttdef or the Cuban filler tobacco. He also showed how to blow the land deep blowing done gradually followed by SHdllOW tultlNdllOH. Ine IdrneFS were advised to increase their farms by put ting one on top of the other rather than by fencing in new lands. Rotation of crops was stressed not to raise cotton year ir and year out, or corn or wheat, but to change crops.
 Cotton Seed Meal.
 He advised the farms to keep his cot to seed meal at home and illustrated the worth of it by the Connecticut Yan- kee being willing to pay $35 ton for 1t to make his tobacco plant larger.
 Tt will,' he said, have the same ef- feet on your cotton plant and to make 1t fruit perfectly apply phosphor acid" It will thus be worth much more to you than the SIS or s2O per ton you get for the meal. The best point he made was fin advising the farmers to use some know how and a shovel and make their own fertilizer and not pay somebody else for something that was two-thirds sand to put on sandy land
 Captain Hobson then introduced R. s Wilson from the bureau of plant indus try and an expert on cotton. A practi- cal farmer, he told the audience. Mr. Wilson's remarks seemed to strike the audience and he was often interrupted Sy questions from farmers in the audience
 On Forests.
 Wm. L. Hall, representing the forest service, was the next speaker. his re- marks were very interesting and very instructive because We need much edu cation along just the lines he spoke. He said in part:
 'The forest Is crop not injured by wet weather. It grows in rain and cold as regularly as in sunshine, and heat. It requires no blowing nor planting nor tillage nor fertilizer, and yet it produces the most valuable material which grows out of the soil As a crop we have gen orally despised and rejected it and have thought 1t fit only to be destroyed. But we are coming now to appreciate it's value. In the future it may be necessary to restore it at an enormous cost The farmer must have the timber; all our in- dustries call for 1t. It is equally as im- portant to commerce, our railroads could not run without 1t. Coal could not be mined without it. One anthracite coal company in Pennsylvania uses one mill lion dollars worth each month. Many southern timbers, as black oaks and gums have in the past been considered valuable but within the next five years every sound tree in the forest will have value. Therefore let the southern man hold on to his timber land Sell matured trees but see to it that the young trees are neither sold nor injured in cutting nor destroyed by fire. They are to the forest NndI the Cnllulen are to Ile 1uluTe Ol this country"
 Value of Information.
 That Mr. Halls remarks deserved the gravest consideration was emphasized by Captain Hobson who at the close of MT. Halls speech said that he had been approached by a gentleman while on this tour and begged to call off MT. Hall he had timber trade which might be spoiled by MT. Halls information. Captain Hobson also advised the farm CT not to sell his swamp lands. S. c. Lancaster delivered very interesting speech on the value of good roads. Cap tain Hobson asked him if there was any remedy for the dust raised on our chert streets and he suggested the use of coal tar and said the cost was small. Captain Hobson will have one mile of good road built as a model. He wanted more, but the appropriation is too small.
 Twenty-cent Cotton.
 MT. Wilkinson, the commissioner Of agriculture, delivered few remarks that were pertinent and caught the house when he mentioned 20-cent cotton. He begged the people not to sell their cot ton for future delivery. MT. Dugger of the experiment station at Auburn was next introduced by Captain Hobson. He brought with him fine specimens of plants grown on poor sandl soil, which would be fine to improve land for cotton or corn next year. After the speaking many farmers went up to examine these. Cap tain Hobson as the last speaker deliv- cred a ten minutes talk on the educa- tional possibilities of the south and the plan he has for furtherlng education. It met with the most enthusiastic approval
 Episcopal Council.
 The second session of the couneil con- vened promptly this morning at 9:9O o'clock. Considerable routine work was transacted at the morning session and again this afternoon. The item of most importance was the discussion of the ne- gro question, which again goes over un- til tomorrow. The place of meeting for next year was decided upon and Hunts vile selected.
 The deputies were elected to the general convention in Richmond. They are cler- ical: The Rev pr. w. F. Evans, Rev. MT. Brewster, Rev. MT. Gamble. Rev. Stuart Mcqueen. The laymen are: Rich- mond Pearson Hobson. J. H. Fitts. W. " Ccraus and Gov TOaaph Inlp-