The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1908-11-20
COLLEGE BRED
Farmers Tell How They Made
The Old Farm Pay.
THE FULL EAR.

My records show that my tire,
years and half required to TAX,
the four year course in the agricultur
al college cost me about nine hundre,
and fifty dollars.
Allowing that a mans greatest &C,
tiyit is from the age CT 25 10 50
years, for that period my efficiency
must be increased at the rate OF
ninety dollars year to return caii-
tai and investment made in my scien-
tific training
From my first crop Of corn ]
cold seventy five bushels of seed.
The yield of corn on my fathers land
has been increased from five to ten
bushels an acre on the crop Of one
hundred and sfxty-five acres. With
thehorses We have increased the num-
Der of tools from thirty per cent to
ninety per cent. for this year-a very
high figure and one which will be
difficult to hold We are gradually
changing from grade mares to pure
bred Percheron, so that compari-
son in the value of foals is not
feasible, yet from business view
point this means a greater profit
Any person acquainted with draft
horse prices win readily understand
that this increase in the number of
foals or change to a far better quail
~ OF mares is not costing us any
thing. while each year the value
and usefulness of the stud is incraas-
ing.
Another very profitable experience
occurred during the last var ] was
in college. Having had little civil en-
cheering i demonstrated how we
could drain a quarter section of
land which had been considered en-
tirely useless. |
Thfe total cost of this operation
was about sixty-five dollars, and
this year the return from eighteen
acres of the very worst portion of
that ground, put into wheat, was
five hundred and ten dollars 4
certainly believe that every good
student of an agricultural college
is substantial asset to the farming
Industry of the community in which
he settles.
1t is a very difficult matter for
young man from an agricultural col
lege to gain the confidence of I'M
scientific farmers in advanced meth
DDS. The only way that this can
be done is to never to force any new
ideas, which conflict with their ira
dItions, upon them. But let the re-
suit Of the progressive work do the
talking for themselves. When the
farmers see the fields
OF the young man from the agriculture
al college are outstripping their own
In production and bringing In
richer return in dollars and cents,
they will begin to ask questions
and seek instructions in his meth
o,ls-although they are likely 10 do
this in roundabout way, and with
out confessing that they are con
vinced of the error of their own ways.
As an illustration of how actual !
results influence the attitude Of
farmers IF the old tradition, let me
nay that when ! received my first
pure-bred sesd-corn several of the
farmers in my neighborhood rallied
me about the price ! had paid for
it, and told me that they would
have been gladd to have furnished
me with just as good seed corn for
far less money. After four years,
however, Of the twenty-one farm
ers in my school district, so per cent.
have grown my corn, and sixty per
cent planted it last year.
No doubt my statements rs u The
increased corn yield will Seem rath-
er strong to some Of the farmers,
and there fore want to say that
these statements are based on the
avelage for the three years proceed
ing my return to the farm and the
three years following it. 1t must be |
conceded, | think that this is .
fair basis Of figuring.
AARON w. MINER.
THE END
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