The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-17
EXPERIMENTS ON
VIRGINIA LANDS
CONTINUED From First Paga)

lNuIllIH LhI1UO
CONTINUED From F'rs. Paga)
mentlng. he will say so. and it VIII
be of immense advantage to the farm.
ers whereabouts to know that they arc
doing tho best that can be done.
On the other hand, II by faithful
experiment. no finds method by which
the Yield OF any product he gives his
attention to can be made larger and
the quality better he will tell that
out loud, and every tobacco grower
within the hearing of his voice will
be benefted.
In the Tobacco Fields.
In Virginia good deal OF tobacco
experimenting is being induIged In
this year. Tho work is under the
general charge OF e. II. Matthewson,
OF the Agricultural Department., and
he looks closely after all Of the de-.
tails. w. w. Greene, OF Bowling
Green. has immediate charge OF sew
eral stations In the tobacco growing
regions near to Richmond. He is ex-
perimenttng with sun-cured in Caro-
limo and Louisa counties. with dark
and brown shipping in Appomattox,
and long black shipping and White
Burley In Fluvanna. a little less than
mile from here.
Messrs. Matthewson and Greene
took charge OF an acre OF good to-
bacco land OH the farm Of one OF
the numerous Sneads. and that is
where they are experimenting. I saw
this acre this week and had the
modus operandi explained to me.
How Experimenting Is Done.
The land was In the first place
properly prepared. Then 1t was Sc,
in plants OF uniform size and unifo4m
condition. Four rows were fortified
and worked Just exactly as the farm
ers In the neighborhood have been
fertilizing and working tobacco for
years past The four next rows were
fertilized In different way and
worked in the same way. The next
four were fortified in the same way
and worked differently. The next four
were fortified by yet different for-
other plots OF four rows each were
fertilized by still different formulas
and worked perhaps in yet different
ways. and finally the last four rows
were not fertilized at all, but are
being worked with all OF the energy
and intelligence that the expert
mentors will know, and, indeed, any
records are kept. and when the crop
shall be cut and cured the experi-
mentors can bring to bear. Accurate
farmer. even though he be a moss
back or an old fogy. will know, to a
certainty just which of the four rows
should be the guide for the men who
grow tobacco in this immediate Sec
ton.
When I looked upon the field saw
considerable difference in the present
condition of some OF the four-row SUBJ
divisions l certainly saw two of
these plots that looked better than the
four rows which are being cultivated
in the way that has been in vogue in
this neighborhood for several years
back. and all of the others except
the plot that had no fertilizer at all
and one other looked as well. 1t may
be, however, that in the end the ex.
periments this year on this acre will
prove that no improvement can BIO
made on the plan that now prevails.
In that event the farmers will do
well to stick to what they have been
doing. But 1t looks now, judging from
the appearance of the plants as ]
saw them. that the experimenters
have hit upon fertilizer formula and
method of working that are im-
provements on the formula now In
general use In this neighborhood and
the method Of working that has pre-
vailed But in any event these eX-
perimontations. which are made with
other products in the same general
way. are well worth the money the
government is spending on them and
we'll worth the careful study of the
farmers. whether the experiments are
being made with tobacco, corn. wheat
or what not. and 1t is to be hoped
the time Is near at hand when the
old fogies will quit turning up their
noses at them.