The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1908-03-20

"a N@A NA0 ~N~
himself in every possible way in be-
half of the 30-fOOt channel prGiecl anu
the customs house appropriation bill,
Representative Il. L. Goodwin of this
district in the national house Of rep
resentatives has also been putting in
some hard work before the department
Or agricultural in the interest of the
farmers of this district. He has sue
ceeded in getting the department to
extend the farmers cooperative de-
monstrative work to his people, and
already the work has been undertak-
en- by the state agent, Mr.. c. r. Hud-
SON., in the vicinity of Fayetteville
and at Ellington.
1t Is hoped that the work will be
extended over every county in the DIS
trict during the summer. Mr.. Goodwin
is very enthusiastic over the work,
and feels confident that it will do more
good to the farmers Of his district than
anything the department has ever
done here.
| The object of the work is primarily
TO greatly increase the net earnings
of the average farmer, by the i'm
tprovement of the soil, BY the use OF
the best seed, and by the addition of
! better and more economic methods
upon the farm.
This is accomplished by farm demon
STATIONS of about five acres, n
made by a farmer in everv n%eighbor-
hood, under instructions from the gen
eral Office, and supervised by a field
agent, who visits these demonstra-
tons monthly.
These agents are appointed by the
agricultural department at Washing
ton. Thus, the crop Ga an acre
under the management is contrasted
in every n~eighborhood with the crop
Of the average farmer. The effect is
immediate. and the result astonish-
ing.
the first cooperative farm was es-
tablished in 1903 by the agriculture
department, at Terrell, Texas, On the
farm of w. C. Porter, who agreed to
follow the instructions of the depart
ment. The work "a a success.
From this small beginning the farm
ers cooperative demonstration work
has increased in FIVE years from one
locality to ten states, from one field
directly instructed, and possible nj
udIl HIl11lCu dlueu through OUS0TF Va
ton.
Aside from the demonstration, the
educational feature of the work con-
sists greatly in reducing the science
| of agriculture to a few practical prob
LENS, easily understood by the aver
age farmer. as the folloEing'
(). Better drainage of the soil.
| (2). A deeper and better seed bed
60. More humus.
4). The best seed
60. Thorough tillage.
(6). More horse power and better
tools.
GILMORE and better farm stock.
These are taught by letters, circu-
lars, lectures, and demonstrations by
the department of agriculture.
The proper time to begin the work
is in the fall when the farmers have
time to thoroughly prepare the soil
during the winter, therefore the work
will not be extended in Representative
Godwin's district this summer upon
q very extensive scale, but a few farms
will be cultivated, in public places
where a large number of people will
ave an opportunity to visit them
and procure an idea of the work. 1t
Is intended by the department and
Mr.. GCdwin to make the necessary
arrangements and have every thing
ready to extend the work fully to all
the counties this fall in order that
about 100 demonstration farms may be
cultivated, in his district next year.
The plan IS to secure some good
active farmer in each county to su-
perintend the work, he will make
monthly visits to the farms accompan-
led by a representative of the agri-
culture department at Washington. BY
this method farming conditions in the
counties will be reyoiutinoized in one
or two years, and the farmers will be
able to produce 100 per cent better
crops on the same land, the arst year
they follow this WORK.