The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-09
GOVERNMENT AID
to AGRICULTURE
Not in Money Handed Out, but
in Matter of Valuable
Instruction.
BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY
Special Institutes to Be Held by
Mr.. Sandy in Southside and
Southwest Virginia.
BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY
BY DIR. J. G. FERNEYHouGn.

BURKEVILLE, VA, February s.
q. o. Sandy. special agent for the
United States Department of Agricul
ture, conducting farmers cooperative
demonstration work in Virginia. has
arranged to hold meetings during the
coming week as follows:
AT Powhatan Courthouse, Tuesday,
February IL; Rustburg, Thursday, Feb
ruary 13th. and at Appomattox. Feb
the program: T. o. Sandy. Grass Gull
ture'': D. N. Barrow. United States De-
partment of Agriculture. Farm Ma
nures"; DR.. j. G.. Ferneyhough. State
Veterinarian. Breeding. Care and
Feeding of Live Stock; r. W. Grouse
district agent Corn Culture
The object of these meetings. or in
stitutes. are twofold: First. to have re-
ports from farmers who received in
struction from Mr.. Sandy. or one of his
agents, last season (and who have
been following the said instructions),
giving the results in full. either IN
writing or person, OF the yield per
acre of corn. or whatever crop In
question. which they have received
since practicinE the methods advised
by the said cooperative agent, in
comparison with their original yield
per acre. In this connection the party.
or farmer, conducting the work is re-
CURED to set apart a certain number
of acres on his farm. on which he has
been raising certain crops; then this
land must be first prepared-plowed
properly. narrowed properly. rolled.
etc: then the grass (provided the said
crop in question is grass) must be
put In at the proper time, etc. with
the use Of certain applications of lime,
raw bone, or whatever the fertilization
recommended: the entire cost, to the
cent, must be strictly accounted for in
the report: then the returns as to
tonnage must be carefully kept Thus
the whole experiment. from start to
finish, must be reported In public at the
farmers institute by the farmer who
conducted the same, in order that
other farmers in attendance may have
the results to compare with the re-
turns which they are receiving from
their present methods of farming.
How 1t Is Done.
10 illustrate the above, I shall take
mir. David Hindle, of Amelia, Va, who.
by the way, is only one among "a num-
Der OF farmers who have sent in SINH
lar reports.
NJ M, Hindle reports that before he
MI. SANDY IN preparing his land for
corn. fertilizing. etc, that he had been
raising OF. certain field of four acres
only twenty bushels of corn to the
acre; however, since he has strictly
followed the. methods advised by Mr..
Sandy. that he has received a yield of
eighty-four and seven-tenths bushels
OF corn per acre on exactly the same
land Mr.; EIindle figured the exact
cost of labor. fertilizer, etc, of the
crop; then he estimates that he has
made total profit of s200.99 per acre
above all cost.
Thus it is with all of the crops on
the farm. The idea is to keep a strict
account Of every cent expended in
producing the, said crop with the i'm
the value Of the yield, only placing the
market value on the said crop, and
thus establish the fact as to whether
or not It pays to farm on the same
to conduct any business in which we
naturally expect an annual profit as
a result of our labors.
Down to First Principles.
or course, 1t goes without saying
that no ironclad rule is laid down as
to the exact amount ae., Of lime; raw bone.
acre of ground. Local conditions are
always considered by practical farmers
in this work. as they are considered in
mess. But the fundamental PRINCIPLES
ara the same--that Is, the land must
be plowed properly, deep enough, sub
soiled, narrowed rolled, etc. The crop
IltSC pe put IN tHe 'S|ou'tl ~ titt'o, a.
cording to the season and individual
crop. And. above all q strict account
must be kept of aiiSand avery expense
on the farm, in order that the farmer
may be in a position to see Just what
he is doing a the end OF each year,
He must review his work and see what
crop pays him the best, must see where
he has lost--thus. where his mistake
has been made this year-so as to pre-
| vent a repetition of the said loss next
Again not only the value OF farm
! Continued on Second Page.)