The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-04-03
SOIL MANAGEMENT.
INTERVIEW WITH MR. FRANK
d. GARDNER OF AGRICUL-
TURAL DEPARTMENT.

Who Has Charge Of the Investiga-
ton OF the Manural or Fertilizer
Requirements OF Soils and Cultural
Methods to; Increase the Fertility
OF Farm Lands
Mr. Frank d. Gardner OF the Unit
ed States department OF agriculture,
Iis stopping at the Jackson Hotel. Mr.
Gardner is one OF the representative
men OF the bureau Of soils Of which
Prof. Milton Whitney is chief. He is
directly Interested in and has charge
OF line of investigations called .sSoil
Management which has for its OBJ
iect study OF the manurial or ferti-
lizer requirements OF soils, the cultu-
raj methods and the crop rotations
best suited to maintain and incrase
the fertility Of the principal types of
soils for the various classes Of farm
ing that are dominant in different
sections Of our country.
When asked what he thought Of
the outlook for agriculture in the
South, Mr.. Gardner replied, Il have
been both amazed aud greatly pleas
I'd at the wonderful progress and de-
yeiopments which has taken place
during the past seven or eight years.
have just spent about two weeks in
Louisiana and Texas and was sur
prised to find hustling towns, rail-
roads. cotton mills, oil wells, fertili-
ger and cotton seed mills and broad
areas Of cultivated land where less
than a score of years ago there was
nothing but a wilderness. I haven't
seen enought of South Carolina as
yet to pass judgment on the develop
Inent that has taken place recently,
but am told that it is fully as mark
ed as that in any Of the Southern
States. I have noticed from statistics
that the value of live stock in the
State increased about one-third II
the .Sour years from 1900 to 1904
while the increase in value OF manufac-
lures for the same period was fifty
per cent. Men who are in position
to judge of the development, tell me
that it has been quite as marked dur
ing the past two years as it was in
the four preceding. doubt if any
State in the Union can boast Of bet
ter record of development since 1900
than has taken place in South Caro-
lima"
How about the cotton boil weevil
situation in Texas and Louisiana?
NeWen! the outlook is trihue gloomy
at present The winter in that Sec
ton Of the country has been excep-
tionally mild and unusually dry, con-
ditions, which our entonnologists tell
US are favorable to the successful nj
bernation and early emergence Of the
boil weevil. I understand that the
first yyesvils made their appearance
nearly 80 daysearlier this spring
than they did last year. It is true
that the conditions have also been fa-
yorable to an early and thorough
preparation G.. the land and as re-
suit thousands of acres Of cotton have
already been planted and much Of it
is now up. This has given the farm
er an early start as Well as the wee
vii which is one Of the essential fac
tors in securing crop in spite Of the
depredations. OF course it is impos-
sible to foresee what the outcome Will
be, but personality am inclined
to take an optomistical view Of the
situation and look upon the boil wee
vii as a blessing in disguise. Before
the appearance Of the weevil the
6armers through that section practiced
a one-crop system of farming, cotton
wear after year on the same land,
and by merely scratching the surface
of the soil they managed to make
fair living. The Agricultural expert
ment stations and our National De-
partment of Agriculture advocated
a diversified agriculture and better
methods of cultivation and preached
and published their views, but with
ont avail. The advent Of &c weevil,
however, has forced the farmers to
practice Just wha. our scientists had