The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-05

uOule Injecting was nelu anu Ine
sprayed crops were gathered it was
shown tc the large number of farm
ers who attended that all but per
cert Of the apples on the unsprayed
trees fell off while nearly 20 per
cent of those on the Sprayed trees
remained on. When the next potato
season came on the same offer was
made to potato growers and the re-
suit was $50 bushels of fine potatoes
to the acre where there were 80
bushels to the acre on unsprayed
ground. The result was that the
mind of every farmer who saw it be-
came as fertile and hospitable to the
new evangel as his land was to the
new treatment.
Converting the Farmer.
When the farmer sees these things
with his own eyes he loses some of
his contempt for what he used to
denominate kid glove farming" and
lowers his estimate of his old farm
ing with his sleeves rolled up" He
suddenly becomes a convert from his
old ways and awakes to the import
ance of giving his son. course at a
school for farmers. Thereafter it is
cor raratively easy. Even he may
Dc { ide' himself to attend some of the
Today courses that his State univer-
sity offers, and at least he will at
tend every farmers institute that
comes his way.
The magic lantern has had truly
magic effect on many a farmer, for
in the lectures that are now being
given the stereopticon plays no in
significant part. On the screen he
may see scientifically treated and
non-scientifically treated crops grow
ing side by side Every modern
method known to enlist the interest
of those who are Indifferent is patti
emily tried out, and in this way the
[ farmers are being awakened The
little red school house, 81 Long the
| symbol of popular education in
| America, has been partially respon
sible for tae lack of farming educa-
tfon in TIL, rural schools. A te fch
err with 40 pupils, all of whom she
had to teach everything they learn
ed, had little time for anything more
than the three RS. But when the
consolidation idea struck home the
high school advantage was brought
to every child in the community, and
an agricultural course was brought
within reach of every boy.
Throughout the South much pro-
gress, already has been made in in
teresting the farmer Good farming
gospel trains have been run over
| nearly every mile OF its railroads,
and the most approved Northern
methods adopted in enlisting his in
terests, Corn raising contests have
been inaugurated in every State in
which every boy or girl who has a
plot OF land at his disposal is invit-
ed to become participant; cotton
growing CONTESTS and the like.
1t is impossible to estimate fully
what an era of improved agriculture
would mean to the South. Or course
there always Will be difficulties in
the way of a full realization of the
benefits of scientific agricultural
training in this section that are not
! in the way in other sections. Mil
| lions of acres, are farmed by Negro
tenants who have no interest in the
soil and who are satisfied when they
can get bare living out of it, But
even with this drawback great thing;
are hoped for by those far-seeins
Southern educators who attended
the Little. Rock conference.
There is no other kind of educd'
ton in which the State takes part
that will yield such great interest on
the investment of the technical train
ing in the art of farming. 1t has
been estimated that If each ear OF
corn could he induced to yield one
more. Kernel, each head of wheat one
more grain, each hen lay one more
egg, each COW give on more pint OF
milk a day, each steer produce one
several more eggs and the ctw give
quarts more of milk, etc.
1t has been calculated by some
one that il all the cities of the Unit
ed States Were to join hands in the
founding of enough schools of practi-
cal farming to AFFORD course for
every farmef in the land, the de-
crease IN the cost of living through
more pound of beef, and so on
through the category of farm pro-
ducts, il would suffice to produce a
sum sufficient TO Afford every per-
son wig cared to take 1t 4 tho. iiS1
education in tie art of farming
When once 80 elaca,el. tn Gamer
can make tn ear OF corn nrcducH
dozens more of kern,'s the hen lay
the increase in production not only
would pay for the establishment OF
the schools, but for their persona
| toll 10 70 L.