Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1909-08-23

ricuIturist OF tuc iffds ExPcTihent
station. takes issue with him. and con-
trovcfis the claims made by DR..
Knapp. The result has been a con-
troyersy In the public prints that has
attracted great deal Of attention.
This controversy has been rcopened
as result Of a speech made at Bryan
August 10 by J. L. Quicksall. state
agent for Central and West Texas OF
the demonstration farm work OF the
Bureau OF plant industry Of the fed
eral government.
OF this speech. Prof. II. L. Nc
Knight. assistant professor OF agri-
culture OF the A. and n. College OF
Texas. who was present. says: In a
lecture to the Braxos county farmers
August 10 Mr. QuIcksall referred TO a
certain demonstration farm in Burlss-
on county where the land had been
broken ten inches deep. and as a re-
suit OF this breaking that land Is this
season making thIrty-fiye bushels OF
corn per acre, while the same quality
Of land broken at an ordinary depth
was making only ten bushels per acre.
! have asked Mr.. QuIclgsaIl TO tell me
the location OF the farm. and he de-
cIines any further information. The
reader IL left to draw his own conclu'
sions. always thought that dem
onstration farm was conducted for
show purposes-that Is these farms
are planned and operated purely rs
object lessons. and ! cannot under
stand why he will refuse to locate the
farm when asked to do SO purely In
the interest OF better agricultural
teaching"
The following is Mr.. McKnIghts let
ter to Mr.. Quicksall.
Prof. ,. l.. Quicksall. Waco. Texas.
Dear Sir: recall that In your addres
to the Brazon enunty farmers you
mentioned an instance where remark.
able results have been obtained this
season by ten inch breaking II
remember correctly you located this
farm IN Burleson county. just across
the line from this county. ! write TO
ask II you can give me the exact 10.
cation Of this farm and the name of
the proprietor. am willing to 70
some little distance to see such a
result as you describe. You under
stand OF course that there Is much de
bate among agricultural writers and
teachers relative to the value Of ex
ira deep breaking and you probably
know also. that once advised this
deep plowing am free TO say to
you now that | am getting mighty
weak In the faith. advised this
method on the strength OF what other
people claimed for II. and not from
my own personal experiences. N;
business here Is TO teach correct prin
ciples OF agriculture and ! am goine
10 know the whole truth about this
moo,ed question II II can be known
To this end would BE- glad 70 visit
the farm referred to by you. that
may see for myself the conditions un
der which these remarkable results
were secured. You understand Mr.
Quicksall. that in asking for the lcca
ton Of this particular farm ! am not
questioning anybody's statement
Your co-laborsr.
II. l.. MCKNIGHT.
Assistant professor OF Agriculture a
and NJ. College OF Texas.
The following Is Mr.. Quicksalls re
ply:
Waco. Texas. August IL. 1909. Ny
Dear Sir: VIII say that ] don't carr
to give you the data on the farm sha
I referred to In my talk at Bryan just
yet. When the crop IL all gathered
and We secure a full report on this
crop. then shall be glad 20 give II
to you. In regard TO our general teach
ings as to thorough and deep prep
aration OF the seed bed. there cnn bt
no question as to the correctness o'
the contention. II Is not only support
ed by the best authorities from a lares
majority Of the experiment. stations
but Is also supported by the practice
OF the best farmers In Texas. and the
more see OF this work, the more con
firmsd In the faith. ! am glad te
note that You are seeking to know the
whole truth OF this matter and shall
We glad to give You complete detailed
statement Of several OF our demon
strators later In the fall. We toe
want to be very careful as to oul
recommendations. along these lines
because as you know some people ar'
always ready TO criticize any agri