The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-03-27

r. w. Thatcher. director of the expert
ment station at Pullman. who outlined
the work being carried on by the coll
lege and the effort being made by the
college and the railroad company to
carry the gospel Of greater prosper
ity and more thorough cultivation of
the soil to all the people of the state
Greater Production Recommended
Three subjects are being discussed
by the corps of lecturers accompany
ing the train. Better soil tillage. more
and better livestock and a higher grade
of seed for the fields. These subjects
are divided among six speakers, who
handle briefly the different phases of
the problems presented. and give to
the men and women attending the
meetings the results of years of eX-
perimentation on the part of the state
college and the best farmers in the
state. There is but little theory about
the work, despite the fact that many
people look upon college work as theo-
reticaI and of little value. Practically
every suggestion made has been tried
out by the experiment station and by
farmers in different parts Of the north
west, and in some cases a number of
years have been given to the work OF
making experiments apply to condi-
tions in the different sections where
they would be of benefit to the peo-
pie. Certainly. the theoretical idea
which people have Of college work can
not and does not apply to the efforts
being made by the second farming
demonstration train to visit this city.
Exhibits Excite Interest.
But not alone in the lectures were
the people interested. In two cars
were exhibits of grains, grasses and
farm crops, scores of them. Over goo
varieties Of wheat were shown, 90 or
which are grown in the state. In an
other car a fully equipped electric
light plant was operated, showing now
easy it is for a farm home to be lighted
at nominal cost. About the college at
Pullman a number of the best farm
houses are thus lighted, and the habit
is becoming contag ious
On a fiat car was exhibited the first
corn planter ever offered for lnspec-
ton by the college. 1t is the old fash
toned kansas kind" and as it passed
through the country was the occasion
for many derogatory remarks, most
farmers holding that it was an imple-
ment not needed in this country. But
about Dayton it was considered of un-
usual Importance, for there the corn
crop has made good among many Of
the farmers who wish 70 grow livestock
as well as produce barley. Other tools
on the car were subsurface packer
a. new harrow for attachment TO
gang pillow, and two tools made IN
WaIla Walla, disks of improved pat
tern A new tool for the cultivation
of alfalfa, disk with teeth like Il
harrow instead Of the cutting knives
of the ordinary implement, was in
spected critically by alfalfa growers
and pronounced a most important ad-
dition to the imprements of any farm
where the forage crop is grown.
Livestock Display.
In the livestock display were two
cows specimens of the beef and milk
breeds, a work horse showing some
of the most important points In morse
evolution. and three or four hogs of I'M
proved breeds. In sheep three nne
specirnens were shown. these animals
being recommended as weed destroy
ers far better in actual service than
the weeder bought at the hardware
stores No idea was offered that farm
RS should raise sheep for the direct
nrofit from wool or mutton, IN tnls
section.
Tag Day. and the farmers demon