New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-20

| found IL could bring help and prosperity 10 his
| people. His idea was to organize corps of
| Agricultural Department experts to carry help
| to his constituents Bulletins and circulars,
| ports and findings of committees did not have
the message he would convey. He wanted plain
! talks from plain takers to plain people on plain
subjects. He applied 10 the department for
! its experts. The Secretary of Agriculture and
the bureau chiefs recognized in a fash the far
| reaching importance of the captains plan, and
sent their best Thus, from May to Il
| a novel campaign has been waged in Western
Alabama. All titles laid aside. The repre-
sentative of the bureau of soils is Mr. Bonsteel.
the soil man" The cotton expert from the bu-
| reau of plant industry is Mr.. Wilson, the cot
ton man" The forest expert from the bureau
of forestry is Mr.. Hall. the tree man" The
engineer from the office of road inquiry is MIR.
Lancaster. the road man" Thus all are in
troduced by Captain Hobson, himself the Con-
gress man."
Mr.. Bonsteel is introduced TO an audience that
has gathered on muleback. in carts, by
buggy. from miles away and starts his
twenty minute talk on soils. The scene is some
wayside schoohouse. unoccupied store fitted
with temporary seats, in some cases the
courthouse. Men and women occupy the seats.
Half grown boys sit in the windows or. at night.
stretch out the floors. the younger ones fire.
quently falling asleep before the long pro-
gramme is finished. He speaks of the greatest
source of national wealth, producing its billions
of dollars worth OF crops annually. He tells of
the forty-hve individual soils of Alabama. each
fitted 10 produce its special crop or group OF
crops. He illustrates his meaning by discus
sion OF the soils seen during the day. He
speaks of the necessity for preserving and
storing the fertility of the soil. advising deeper
ploughng. shallower cultivation. the ploughing
under OF green crops. the use OF stable manures,
the proper rotation OF crops. cotton. corn, cow
peas and OATS and the home mixing Of fer
uHzers All OF the points apply TO each farm.
Mr.. Wilson then rises to speak on cotton. He
Is big bodied. big headed. big hearted Missis-
sippian. come across the state line from an ad-
Joining county. AS he rises ripple goes
the audience. and the whispered remark is in
variably passed around. Looks like he has
raised IT," He picks UP the thread of argu-
ment. enforcing the remarks Of the first speaker
regarding cultivation. He then speaks of the
proper implements for good culture Of width OF
and methods of thinning TO a stand Above
all things. he places good seed. You might as
we'll expect to raise raCehorse from a Texas
broncho as good cotton from the common barn
yard varieties of seed" He tells Of the work
OF the Farmers Cooperative Cotton Culture
Workers. AT first he made the departments
offer OF free seed OF the early triumph variety
10 farmers who would agree to cooperate IN
improving the crop In the Sixth district All of
the available seed was called for at the first
three meetings. and Mr.. Wilson now only
promise a good supply for next year. This il
the right way to distribute improved seed.
Mr.. Hall. who is to have charge of the investi-
cations leading TO the much needed Appalachian
Forest Reserve. next talks forests. He calls
attention to the bad forestry seen every day TO
the little forest fires which. like Herod. slaughter
the baby forest trees TO wasteful logging and
to the marvellous opportunities everywhere pre-
sented in the Sixth district for cutting timber
when it is ripe. securing the steady annual in
come and saving the forest His talk is always
followed by regrets the part of some that
they have sold their brthright TO alien tim
Der company for mess of pottage. and by re-
joicings on the part of others that they have
been saved thousands OF dollars through
twenty minute talk by man who knows. Many
timber buyers have told Captain HObson with
what good grace they could muster We'll you
have raised the price of timber on us all over
your district"
S. c. Lancaster, who made the roads of Madi-
son County, Tenn, thereby doubling land values
and building eternal monument to himself
speaks next on road building. He does not talk
of roads and bouleverds but of how TO
make good dirt road with a tight roof and a
dry cellar" He hows how the King split-loS
drag furnishes the roof and a little ditchins
fixes the cellar. lie brings In bucket TO illus
trate his point road location-that the bail /
of n bucket is long standing up as lyina,
down." calling forth applause and creating an
interest which will reduce many bad grade by
relocating roads around instead Of over a hill
He calls attention to the gravel deposits avail
able for home In his evening talks ne
acetylene lantern, and shows splendid
views OF ancient and modern roads and of for
eign and home roadbudinB. He shows four
Tennessee mules begged down with two milk
cans, and the same road with two mules hauling
twelve bales Of cotton of six thousand pounds
This is his before and after picture Engi-
neer Lancaster came from Seattle to Washing
ton, and thence to Tuscaloosa Ala to ma ICE
this trip. He has been drafted for the main talk
at the Memphis roads and drainage conference.
and he Is 10 return to ''taXpaying Washtngton'.
to finish his work there of building good roads
in that northwestern state.
The meetings closed by Captain Hobson.
who speaks education. He shows his neoDIa
that knowledge Is wealth and happiness and
power lie assures them that the present tour
Is only the first. He will follow Il up with e~
perts drainage, farm management on
cattle raising, chickens and on other ogrt
cultural subjects He is enabled by the sunnort
of the Department of Agriculture to promise bis
constituents soil surveys of his counties lead
ing to a complete understanding OF the wonder
fully varied soil resources of the district: ac-
tive cooperation In increasing the yield Of cot
ton expert advice on saving forests and reapine
profits from timber, and sample roads fitted 10
the needs and resources OF each county
There still unoccupied government lands
In the 9th Alabama District. Scores and hun
dreds of of land in the district have hean
given to support the State University, the
Booker Washington school and other public
schools of higher learning Many acres are left
and with the aid of his people. the young Con-
gresham proposes TO secure these lands for the
and benefit of the district and county
schools. He will introduce bill at the next
session of Congress setting aside the land itself
for homestead entry. but reserving all mineral
rights to the district TO be worked on a royalty
basis for the benefit of the schools and public
roads forever.
Captain Hobson learned in the navy 10 do
With him there is no excuse for failure. His