The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-08
Results of Hsbson's Work In
 Sixth District
SOIL UTILIZATION
Much Practical Good Is Secured By the Farmers Who Are Assisted By
 Experts From the Agri-
 cultural Department.
BY WALTER HARPER.

It will be remembered that one year ago today Congressman Richmond Pearson Hobson began campaign of practical education in his district, the Sixth of Alabama.
 During two weeks in the month of June, 1907, Congressman Hobson held a series of experience meetings in every county in his district in which he was assisted by practical experts assigned him from different bureaus of the department of agriculture.
 During this campaign Captain Hobson promised the people of his district that he would follow up the work of education closely with the view of attaining prac- tical results. He has kept his promise. Immediately upon his return to Wash ington he secured the services of practical men to go to the Sixth district and re- main, subject to the call of the farmers in the district who desire information or suggestions.
 Soil Utilization.
 One was a soil utilization man, another is a forestry man, cotton culture man and others versed in special lines of agricul- tural improvement. A special man looked over the district to ascertain the needs in the way of rural mail delivery and a special survey was made looking to the drainage of swamp lands.
 The work of completing the soil survey of the district is being pushed.
 This work of Congressman Hobson which has attracted the attention of the entire country, is bearing fruit. At the end of the first year the people of the district are able to see important results. Possibly the most important work of immediate value that is being done is by L. Burgess, in charge of soil utiliza- ton.
 MT. Burgess confers personally with the farmers, advising them as to the best crops for certain soils and helps them in eXperimentations. This work is, of course more effective where the soil sur vey has been completed, which now cov- CTS, I believe, a little more than half the district.
 Farmers Interested
 The farmers in the Sixth are greatly interested in the work of the department,
 
 made on MT Burgess, amounting to more than 25oO during the first year.
 MT. Burgess was assigned to his work in July last year and is now one of the busiest men in the district.
 Talking of his work MT. Burgess said:
 T arrived in the Sixth district in the early part of July, 1907. Since then my time has been occupied with aiding the farmers of the district in the solution of the various problems arising in the man. agement of their different soil types or kinds of land
 These soil problems have been found quite numerous and very distinct from each other. Among others l might men tion the acid soils that occur at numerous points along the Warrior, Spsy and other river and creek bottoms. These acid soils present. puzzling problem to even the most intelligent farmers since they gen that are very difficult to drain by the ordinary method of tiling. These are cer- tain slit, soils of light color from which most or all of the organic matter has been removed by the reductive macera- ton of humus. The effectual drainage of such soils always presents a problem difficult of solution. One of the leading problems in the management of the aver age upland soil of the district is that of causing the humus content of the soil to increase more rapidly on the one than it is reduced by oxidation on the other There are several factors entering into the solution of this problem; among others those of proper blowing, cultivation, and even manuring are, perhaps, the most important. The proper fertilization of some of the soils and the proper manpu- laton of others by which fertilization may be dispensed with are problems of vital interest to the farmers of the Sixth dis trict. Last, but not least is the problem of securing the right variety of crop for the different types of soil. This is a problem of great importance and its solution depends on great deal of care ful research and study.
 In Great Demand.
 "The services of the soil man are in