The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-08-04
Virginia Farmers Cheered by
Good News, See Prosper
GUS Days Ahead.
INCORPORATION PLAN
WILL BE DISCUSSED
aMovcmcnt for Chamber Of Agri.
culture Will Probably Take
Definite Form at Meeting
Which Begins To-Day.
Important Matters to
Be Discussed.

and fruit-growcrs, live
stock producers and tobacco
n planters. truckers and horticul-
II turists from all sections OF Vir-
ginia thronged the hotels of
.Richnond last night. the Offices OF the
secretary being crowded with those
registering for the opening session of
tho State Institute. which begins at o
ts'clock this morning in the auditorium
iof the Jefferson Hotel.
Men with badges proclaiming their
membership in the institute presented
everywhere hopeful and prosperous
appearance, and almost without excep-
Aion their reports were OF bumper
crops to be sold at top prices. From
every quarter of the State members
had registered last night. and from one
TO another spread the good news that
the drought had broken. the rains had
gone without serious damage. and the
prospects for the fall yields were never
better. President T. o. Sandy, who has
already cut four crops of hay from his
alfalfa fields, said that he could now
afford to take a,few days off for the
institute.
Farmers who sold their wheat at
the threshing machine at from 80 cents
to 81 are now in town for a few days
OF enjoymet and also for study OF
better methods and OF plans to i'm
prove land values. From all sides come
reports showing hay houses crammed
10 ovefowing and corn that is filing
day and night while the institute is IN
progress. Labor problems alone vex
the farmers. and many have lenrno3
by the use OF improved machinery and
labor-saving devices to solve that dif-
fculty too.
Farming In Virginia.
Some idea of the diversified character
OF the farming practiced in Virginia
may be obtained from an examination
of the program OF the institute. Stud
les of plant life and of soil conditions.
of cattle raising and horticulture, of
fruit growing and dairying. will alter
nate with addresses on highway inn
provement, protection from pests and
blights. and educational and social de-
velopment OF the rural communities.
Perhaps In no State In the Union
is every phase Of farming as gen
orally represented as in Virginia.
where all varieties of mountain and
lowland soil are to be found. and
where the climate lends itself to the
production OF practically all kinds OF
animal and vegetable life.
OrSdnIZed uVe years ago IN hoau.
oke. largely through the instrumen-
tally OF Ex-Governor j. Hoge Tyler
and Professor A. NJ. Soule. the Vir-
gfnia Farmers Institute has continued
ito hold It's annual meetings in that
city, with an ever-growing attend-
ance, until there came a demand from
the farmers OF the East to share in
the benefits and have the convention
city moro centrally located. There
upon the executive committee con-
cluded that for a Statewide organi-
cation. having its vice-presidents and
local branches in every county, the
capital city was the proper meeting.
place.
Large Attendance.
Indications point to large attend
ance. the enrolling officers in the
phys Hotel being kept busy yester-
day receiving the fee OF one dollar
each. and listing farmers from many
rural communities as members. Last
| year over one thousand registered, and
nearly twelve hundred We're carried
;on. an excursion to Blacksburg to visit
I the experiment station at that place
Though the sessions will be held in
i the auditorium of the Jefferson Hotel
the secretary. Mr.. j. L. Moomaw, of
| tCloverdale. with his assistant. Mr.. j.
NJ. Williams. of Roanoke. have opened
their Offices at Murphy's, where the
general headquarters will be main
| tanned. Mr.. Moomaw arrived yester-
| day morning and went to work at
i once to perfect the details Of the in
stitute. Mr.. Williams arrived in the
afternoon, while the president, Mr.. T.
o. Sandy, of Burkeville, spent the
greater part of the day in the city
giving finishing touches to arrange
ments for the gathering. meeting
OF the executive committee was held
last night at Murphy's Hotel, and a
final revision was given to the pro-
gram. To the regret of all the honor
airy president, Ex-Governor ]. Hoge
Tyler, who was the first president Of
the institute. will be unable to attend
>this year, as he is a member Of the
committee to notify William j. Bryan
of the Democratic nomination.
1t is expected that most of those
who will attend the institute will
come in this morning, as the sessions
OF to-day and tomorrow. will include
the most valuable of the papers and
discussions, while the entire day on
Thursday will be given up to the trip
ION the James River.
Many of those already here have
brought samples Of crops grown or
pictures of record-b breaking cattle for
x eAA1U@tloE lig Ille luceltl5 fttu'1s -
s. w. Fletcher director Of the State
Experiment Station, will make, an
elaborate exhibit of agricultural pro-
ducts and appliances, fertilizers and
other objects Of special interest to
farmers and fruit-growers. All the
hotels Of the city have made special
rates to tho members Of the institute
while the secretary has at headquar-
ters considerable list of boarding
houses ana private places where mem
d lcontiuued on Fourth Page.l IN