Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-11-21
P. r. r. WILL AID
THE FARMERS
The Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
Will Establish Experimental
Farms On Peninsula

The Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
always on the alert to do everything
which will help the country through
which its roads run, has determined to
establish experimental farms on every
one of its divisions, and to place in
charge of these farms the very best
farming talent which can be secured in
this or any other country. President
McCrea has determined that the rail-
road shall take its part Of the RESPONSE
bility for the cultivation of the farming
and trucking lands of the Peninsula.
These farms are to be established for
two-fold season. First, to demonstrate
to the farmers and truckers the best and
most profitable crops to grow on their
different lands second. to establish
closer union with the farmers and
truckers of the Peninsula, to confer
with them as to the best crops to grow
and to help them in the selection of the
best markets for the shipment of their
produce.
These experimental farms are to be
established as follows: One on the Della
ware Division, one on the line of the
Baltimore Chesapeake & Atlantic Rail-
way. one on the line of the Maryland.
Delaware & Virginia Railway, and one
on the line of the New York, Philadel-
phia & Norfolk Railroad. 1t is the in
tention of the Pennsylvania Railroad to
purchase good farms and establish there
on the best experts in the different
lines of agriculture. The corps of experts
will be composed of men who can give
the best advice as to the kind of crops
the different soils will best produce, as
to the kind of trucks to plant and the
way to plant them, as to fruits, berries
and grain crops and the best kind Of
fertilizers to use and the best methods
of cultivation. In fact, these farms will
be models in their line and will all be at
the disposal of the farmers and for
their information.
President McCrea is of the opinion
that there are hundreds Of thousands of
acres of land on the Peninsula which
are not producing what nature intends
them to produce and that the farms
should within few years so educate
the people along the most improved
lines as to increase the output of produce
and fruits enough to cause the railroads
to double their capacity of the present
time. The Long Island Railroad has
had these farms in operation for
several years and it has caused the lands
along the lines TO so blossom that they
resemble the garden farms of England.
There should be no waste land on this
Peninsula, so the railroad people think,
but every acre should beunder cultiva-
tion all the time and every acre should
be made to produce at least twice what
it is now producing.
The party of railroad people consist
ing of the Superintendent of the Della
ware Division. Superintendent Rodgers
of the New York, PHILADELPHIA & Nor
folk Railroad. Superintendent Polk, of
the b., C & A and the M. ID. & ". and
several other Pennsylvania officials, to-
gether with Mr.. Orlando Harrison and
Mr.. w. F. Allen, of this county. left
Wilmington, Delaware. on special
train Tuesday morning of this week and
will make close inspection Of all the
farms along the lines of all the Divisions
from Wilmington to Cape Charles. be-
ing gone the rest of this week. This
trip is to study the lands and the farm
ing conditions with view of assisting
the railroad people in their selection of
farms and to thoroughly go over the en-
tire situation.
This is a great step forward in the
right direction and the farmers and
truckers of the Peninsula should render
every assistance possible in this great
work.