The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1909-05-13

forces of the Farmers Cooperative
Demonstration work consist now OF
DR.. S. A. Knapp. the Director, with
four or FIVE Office assistants, ten
State agents. Mr.. R. S. Wilson,
Columbus, is our State agent; Mr..
Tate, Winona, is the district agent
for north Mississippi; Mr.. B. L.
Moss, West Jackson, is the district
agent for south Mississippi. There
are about thirty-five local or coun-
ty agents engaged in the work.
The local or county agent selects
small, thrifty, and energetic farm
ers in every negihborhood as spec
ial demonstration farmers. Large
farmers generally have too much
work to give the demonstration
work the requisite attention. The
amount of land agreed upon is to be
prepared, planted and cultivated by
the demonstration farmer as direct
ed by the department or its special
agent. The owner is also to keep as
accurate account as possible of all
the soil and crop history, of all cost
of cultivation, and of the yield of
the crop. and furnish it to
the department at the end of the
year. The farmers furnish the land,
labor, and fertilizers that may be
deemed necessary, free of charge
and receive the products of the
crop.
The work is confined to few
standard crops and the instructions
to the basic methods and principles
which stand for best results. This
line of instruction is repeated on
every occasion until the farmers
work according to some:sYstem End
know the methods that make for
success instead of charging failure
to the moon, to the season, or luck.
It, ofcourse, requires several years
to so impress these teachings upon
the masses, even when supported
by demonstration that they become
the general custom of the farmers
The first year a few carry out in
structions on small area; the sec
ond year these enlarge the areas and
some of their neighbors carry out
the instruction on a small area, and
so the work progresses by force of
demonstration and public opinion
until its genaral adoption is secured.
Every demonstration farmer a.
gree to:
I. Prepare deep and throughly
puiverized seed bed with imple.
ments that will not bring too much
of the subsoil to the surface.
2. Use seed of the most prolific
variety intellipentlv selected and
carefully stored.
8. In cultivated crops give the
rows and plants In the rows space
suited to the plant, the soil. and
the climate.
4. Use intetsive tillage during the
growing period of the crops.
S. Secure high content of hu-
mus in the soil by the use of le-
gumes, barnyard manure, farm re-
fuse, aud commercial fertilizers.
6. Carry out systematic rota-
ton of winter cover crops.
2. Accomplish more work In one
day by using more horsepower aud
better farm implements.
8. Increase the farm stock to the
extent of utilizing all the waste pro-
ducts and idle lands of the farm.
9. Produce all the food required
for the men and animals on the
farm.
10. Keep an account of each farm
product, In order TO know from
which the gain OF loss arises.
When the above rudiments of
good farming are mastered the far
mer secures a greater income for
his labor. An important part Of
this greater net earning capacity Is
good farm economy and greater
thrift. Farm economy dictates the
production OF the largest crop pos
sibIe to the acre at the least expeu-
diture OF money and without Inn
pairing the productive capacity OF
the soil. It teaches more encomic
support OF the family. team. and