The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-05-11

III corn NuuNctl"l. ana YET ll1lu me
worlds record for yield per acre.
SOME Years ago the average in Maine
was 33 bushels per acre and in South
Carolina II. and this with nine
months of winter in Maine. In the
West one man had averaged Is
bushels per acre on 1000 acres, but
with this high average the West
couldn't equal South Carolina : ban
ner viellS TO the acre. The average
NOW in South Carolina Was about
II bushels per acre, but it ought to
be much higher.
Extent of Demonstration WORK.
The work. he said. was in general
charge Of DR., Knapp. and in the diff
ferent States was in charge Of State
agents. district agents, and county
agents. In the various counties there
were demonstrators and co-operators,
as there are IN Newberrv county. In
1908. he said. there were 50 agents
paid BY the government and 81 by
the general education board, working
in ten States from Texas around to
Virginia. There were 10000 demon
stratorS and 10000 co-operators. 1t
was estimated that an average OF ~
farmers outside Of the work visited
the demonstration work during the
wear. This vas not true of South
Carolina. but was a low average for
Texas and Louisiana and in other
sections. This would make 100000
farmers who visited the demonstra-
ton work. and $4,000 farmers who
had been reached by the work during
the year. In addition to this a vast
quantity of literature had been dis
tributed. The scope of the work was
to teach well-established principles
and to bring them home to the indi-
vidual farm.
Meetings of this kind we're arrang-
ed in order to disseminate the results
of the scientific Investigations which
had been conducted and the results
which had been attained, and in order
to exchange ideas and get closer to-
gether
Three Essentials in Farming.
There are three essential things IN
farming, said Mr.. Jenkins, and he di-
vided his address into the three d.
visions:
l. Preparation.
?. Rotation Of crops.
3. Selection of seed.
There were other things Of great
Importance, he said, such as improved
implements and good stock; but these
were included under these three gen.
eral heads.
Cultivation was, of course, very
important, he said, but if the pre-
pration was thorough the cultivation
was much easier. Land should be
turned deeply, and cultivation should
go along with and follow preparation
so closely as to be almost part of it.
Grass ought, to be killed before it
cot up. If one waited until the grass
cot up the grass would be cultivated
along with the crop.
The Preparation of Land.
Mr.. Jenkins asked his audience,
Why do you prepare your land at
all? He received a number of ans
wers, all Of them giving reasons. and
there was a general discussion of the
subject Of preparation. Land was
broken to give the plant more feed
ing surface. and to let the air and
moisture into the land. Of course,
land was broken primarily to cover
the seed. BY thoroughly breaking
the soil the moisture was held. AS
an illustration, if there was a big
clod the water could get only on the
outside and would not reach the soil
on the inside Of the clod Moisture
would be held for the crop in the dry
summer months where the land was
broken deep and thoroughly. Anoth-
er important reason for preparing
the land was in order to let only the
crop grow that was planted. For in
stance, if crop was planted in
weeds and grass they would grow
along with the crop. The land should
be prepared before planting in order
to allow, it time to have the air 60
through it and the heat and the mois-
ture. The best time to prepare land
was in the fall, 50 as to let the water
and moisture get into it during the
winter, causing it to freeze and to be
thOrouohlv broken uD bv the ice. For