Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-03-18
DICKINSON MAY HAVE
DEMONSTRATION FARM
New Law Permits tire Establishment
Of Plan for Teaching Farming.

OIL tIuu lOE 1CNNhh5
The Kansas legislature has passed
a law authorizing the county COM
missioners of any county to arrange
with the Board Of Regents OF the
Agricultural college for a Demon
stration farm" The experimental
farm isn't the same thing. A Dem
onstration farm should show profit
within three years, while an expert
mental farm is never ending eX-
pense. Oklahoma has similar law.
To secure the benefit Of the law 1t
will be necessary for board OF coun-
ty commissioners to make application
to the Board Of Regents Of the college
for such a Demonstration farm"
stating what demonstrations are
wanted, If farming, gardening, horti-
culture or forestry, or all Of them,
and the amount Of land available for
such farm, not to exceed 40 acres.
A representative Of the Board OF
Regents would then visit the county
and inspect the land and II found
suitable for such use, the Board OF
ing the conditions under which the
Regents would submit contract CIV
work would be undertaken, which
could be In accordance with the law.
Upon the acceptance Of such contract
and execution Of lease, the actual
work would be undertaken. In this
we are guessing at what the Regents
will do as 1t is probable the matter
will not be officially decided on for
several weeks. The question as to
the crops demonstrated will doubt
less be taken up and decided by the
college experts, each county being
considered separately and in the or
der Of their application.
The measure provides that the cost
: Of such farm for the first year shall
not exceed $1,000 nor exceed $500 IN
any year thereafter. The first years
cost isintended to include the fenc-
ing Of Iand, making Of signs and
drives, manuring or tile draining,
cost Of forest or fruit trees for plant
ing or Of well and pump for irrigat-
ing garden or orchard when desired.
The crops, when sold to farmers for
use for seed, or consumed on a poor
farm, should offset all expenses the
following years, at least after the
second year, unless a large forest
tree planting is made which would
be harvested only every 10 or IL
years. The farm is intended to show
the farmer how to get results and
furnish him with the best Of home
grown seed.
An ideal farm for this county
would probably be 40 acres, with 10
acres in forest planting, two acres In
fruit and ornamental trees, one acre
in garden, two and one-half acres
each in two kinds Of corn, two kinds
OF wheat alfalfa, winter and spring
oats, rye, Kafir corn and cane, or
other crops, with two acres for the
drives which could be seeded to hay
crops. However, some leeway in the
matter OF crops should be allowed
for variation and new plants.
The measure is entirely voluntary
and, as stated, 1t will be necessary for
the board Of commissioners to make
the frst move: owing to all the de-
tails having to be worked out 1t Is
probable but few farms will be estab'
lished this year. Farmers interested
should call on or write the commits
sioners as they will doubtless be guild
ed largely by the wishes Of theii
constituents. The law in full fol
Iowa Read It and preserve il;
section /. The board OF COUNT
commissioners Of any county In thu
efste IN which an agricultural dem
onstration farm has been or shall b
hereafter located with the eonsen
n rueh board Of commissioner
br ne board Of regents Of tie stat
Agricultural college Is hereby auth
o,l-,s 10 lease Or Donate % tie boar'
81 rorss,s Of raid college any poFto'
- ,,rss Owned BY said county not