Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-01-14

A statement concerning what has been
done in Putnam county, III. may be IN
tereSting at this point. A school was To-
Gated I'm that county. two miles from
small village. A brick building costing
$4,000 was constructed. the "A acres OF
land on which it stands being donated
by a farmer I'm moderate circumstances.
Tie assessed value Of the land in this
community Is S'Ts.i0q: the cos 80 mtn-
tanning tire school about $500. exclusive
Of the payments on tie bulldog. The cEi.-
dren are trans pcrTed In wagons main
tanned BY the school for that purpose.
The building he's all modern facilities so
far as laboratory furnishings, heat. light
and water are concerned. Some OF the
school Teachers live on the grounds IL
houses owned by the school and thus be-
come a part Of the life OF the community.
Teachers Of special training and ability
have been selected at good salaries. As
q result. there has been organized in this
school four years course of instruc-
ton. providing for training in agricul-
ture, horticulture. botany. zoology, ami
NAL husbandry, chemistry and physics
for boys. emo household science in all its
branches for girls The fundamentals in
education have not been neglected. The
school garden constitutes a special feat
ure with this institution, and though To-
Gated away out in the country. marvel
Gus progress Is being made and the school
has become the center OF life and activ-
ity TO the community. an inspiration alike
TO both pupil and adult farmer. Schools
of this kind have now been established
in many sections OF the country. We need
them badly in the south. We can have
them II we will With their advent the
whole trend OF rural affairs will change.
Can we neglect anything SO fundamental
any longer2 We have example and pre-
cedent. and we have the proof of the
adequacy of this type OF instruction in
solving the problems of rural life. Be
tween 100000 and SO.Oo0.O 900 of people live
I'm the south Atlantic and south central
states. or almost one-third of the people
in the whole country. Roughly speak
ing. the revenues from southern farms
last year did not fall far short of 5000.
0ooooo. This Is ample evidence that we
have the money to readjust our scheme
OF rural education il we desire to use
It
In conclusion. just a word as to the alb
solute necessity OF our remedying some
of the most glaring defects in our pres
ent methods OF farm economy. There are
In the l. southern states. including West
Virginia. sl3OOo.OO0 acres OF land of which
1AS.OcC.0c acres are in no sense improved.
One might naturally think the unimprpv-
ed land would bring a revenue of some
kind: but is this true2 1t would be impos-
sible to estimate what is derived from it,
but IL can not be much, as the greater
part OF the original timber has been cut
over and destroyed. There is enough un-
occupied land IL properly forested to sup
ply the needs of the country for many
years 20 come. or IL reduced to grazing
areas would maintain countless numbers
of horses. cattle. sheep and swine which
could be reared thereon. There can ve
no question of the sOuth's ability to meet
the needs OF the world so far as cotton
Is concerned for thousands of years TO
come IL We utilize lie advantages which
nature has conferred upon us. But there
Is grave doubt as to what the south will
De able 10 do in cotton production unless
some change In practice is brought about
Lest year Slo0.oo0oc0 were spent for com
mercisl fertilizers: in the state of Georgia
alone. over 100000 Statistics show that
we are raising but little II any more
liar cotton per acre now than 40 or 80
years ago. Yet In one state alone there
Is direct tax on the production OF farm
crops OF Sis.Oo0.00o. Can this kind OF thing
continue indefinitely IL does not require
the services OF a sage or a prophet to
discover the answer
In the final analysis what do we know
about commercial fertilizersR Is il true
that farmer is trying to maintain the
, u -NAuA ldEQ 10 Mnlcn ne HD-
plies two pounds or nitrogen per acre
when net utilizing any OF natures vast
store of $4,000 pounds resting on each
acre OF his land2 Is it true that we are
not rotating crops. and are taking from
the soil in three crops OF corn yield
ing 2S4 bushels 100 pounds more of
nitrogen than need be removed by a
three-years crop rotation? Is IL true
that we have shipped away from The
south nearly 100000. 900 worth OF COM
mercial plant food in cotton seed meal
which We should have kept at home and
utilized in the feeding OF dairy cows
and the fattening OF beef? Is IL true
that the cotton seed meal retained in
y the south is chiefly applied to the SOIL
directly as fertilizers without first be-
ing fed? Is 1t true that while the aver
age yield of cotton is so low, it has
been possible for one farmer to grow
two bales per acre through using a Sc
lected strain OF seed and the application
OF two tons OF compost and $40 pounds
OF a 3-1O-4 fertilizer? Is IL true that
while cotton wilt. antnracnose and varf-
Gus other diseases and insect pests take
a toll which in the aggregate amounts
to millions OF dollars. that we are doing
comparatively little to combat or Grad
tcate these diseases and insect pests2
Is IL true that the cattle tick, which we