The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-23
TELL THE FARMERS
HOW TO DO BETTER
Design OF Cooperative Demon
stration Work Is TO Show Best
Practical Methods.
GREAT INTEREST IN WORK
ny y. q. Fcrncyhongh.


BLACK STONE, VA, February e.
While 1t is the pleasure of the writer
to outline in an article published
In The Times-Dispatch two weeks
ngo the nature of the work which
Mr. Sandy and others were anti
cipating conducting, and explaining
to the farmers of Powhatan. Camp
bell and AppomattoX counties the
following week, at this writing he is
exceedingly gratified at the opportun
ity of informing the public not only of
tlle simple and pratical manner in
which this work was conducted, but of
the intense interest which ii excited or
created among the farmers. and of the
enthusiasm which prevailed among the
entire audience at the close of each
meeting.
At Powhatan the number of farmers
IN attendance exceeded 100, notwith.
standing the fact that 1T was very
raw. cold day. Mr.. S. X Farrar, special
agent in charge of Powhatan county in
connection with this work, was sent
out to advertise the meeting and Mr..
Farrar did not fail to collect a good
audience. especially when we consider
the weather which was very Disagree
able, and what was still worse many
of the farmers. we are told. were Kept
at home owing toEa local quarantine in
a portion of the county against small
pox.
How He N,rdc Poor Farm Rich.
The first speaker was Mr.. i. Q.
Sandy, AMI while his subjec. according
to the program was Grass Culture
no did not confine his remarks to the
culture of grass alone, but instead he
smoke on the farm crops in general,
though he was ever ready TO answer
questions on any pratical farm subject
In the beginning he made the statement
that our land in Virginia was in need
Of line Just here some one asked
what the lime did for the soil, and why
do We want It? In reply TO this Mr..
Sandy said: gentlemen, am mol
chemist. therefore 1 do not know eX-
actly how the land is improved by
lime, except in my opinion our land,
through this portion of the state par
ticularly, is sour; has too much acid.
and / use the lime because have used
1t and find that 1t is the only thing
that will put our land In the proper
condition to raise us good crop of
hay. I know that lime Is an alkalt and
will thus correct the acidity of the soil,
or 1t certainly does do something to the
soil that nothing else will dot makes
this I know whereof l speak. there
fore urge you to use lime If you want
to got your land down in grass"
Then came tine question. how much
lime would you use to the acre?
Answer: zone ton of lime to the
acre. scattered over the surface and
mixed with the soil by means of a
harrow, this to be scattered on the
land after the land had been plowed
with a. two-horse pillow, followed in
each turrow by a subsoil plow just
behind the pillow above mentioned land
should be lined in every six or eight
years
AT this stage a gentleman in the
audience stool up and said: Mr.
Sandy, please tell me exactly how you
started on you poor land to improve 1t
and raise corn and grass. or tell me
first how to prepare my land for corn,
and then the some piece of land for
grass"
Answer: "For corn pillow your land
in the fall--make UP your mind that
you will not plow any more land
than you can give the very best at
tention. Then in the fall with a good
two-horse plow break this land at
least six, if not eight inches deep: fol-
low in the furrow with subsoi
pillow. cutting seven or eight niche:
deeper. Then scatter one ton of lime
per acre as above mentioned. Early
4 in April prepare the land thorough.
with a disc harrow. and when the lanc
is in fine condition sow 500 pounds o
pure raw bone to the acre broadcast
Plant the corn four feet wide by twelv
inches in the row. one stalk In a hill
Start thes weederr, or fine tooth harrow
- 10 .
come up. Work the corn perfectly fla
Gil of the time, and keep the land pull
-