Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-27

schools on wheels are found farmers from
every class. There are tenants, laoorers
and farm owners. They have come with
samples of corn, alfalfa and other things
thew raise that they may be told how to
improve them. They are taught now 10
spray fruit trees properly. that they may
extirpate the dreaded San Jose scale IN
telligent questions meet with 1nteihgent
replies in terms that can be understood
by the uneducated as well as the eou-
Gated.
Attractive to Farmers.
A record was kept Of the attendance at
the lectures on farmers special that
recently made a three-day trip through
eastern Pennsylvania, and it showed that
no less than 10000 farmers were present,
coming in many instances from miles
around At practically every station there
were hundreds of vehicles of every de-
scription. boat-shaped Conestoga wag-
on stood alongside an automobile, while
an OK cart was found at the same hitch
ing post with a fine pair of Missouri
mules attached to a farm wagon of lat
est design.
In sections of New Jersey where po-
tato growing on a commercial basis was
not thought of ten years ago. hundreds
Of thousands of barrels are now being
shipped. The railroads have found 1t
profitable to induce farmers to increase
the number Of cows on their farms, be-
cause cows must have feed and railroads
must haul it. dairy products must be
carried to market. and the railroad must
do It. The city and the farm are being
brought closer together. Before long the
country will be dotted with small ex-
perimental farms established by the rail-
roads to show the farmers In each sec
ton just what possibilities are within
their reach.
This agricultural awakening fostered by
hno p1ru fr,,i
abudantly. Wornout land is being
reclaimed. Crops that were formerly sup
posed to belong to one section are being
introduced into others; farmers are ex-
perimenting in growing various fruits and
vegetables. in the same way as a rail-
road experiments with all manner OF
Appliances In the hope of finding those
that will be of service. Opportunities
without number are opening up ever!
day before both the railroads and the
ed partnership.
Not more than twenty years ago. when
James j. Hill distributed. free Of charge,
bloOded bulls among the cattle herds
along the Great Northern railroad. people
wondered IL he had gone crazy; and 1t
was not until the Great Northern be-
gan to show enormous returns from ship
ments of cattle that the dOubters admit
ted that instead Of folly 1t was foresight.
Utilization of Waste Lands.
Five years ago the President Of the
Long Island railroad established an e4-
detrimental farm of ten acres on what
was supposed to be waste land A COM
petent man was given carte blanche to
see what he could do in raising stock.
Last summer 800 different kind OF plants.
vegetables, fruits, etc. We're sold from
that farm. Cabbages as large as wheel
barrow were grown on land that five
years ago was nothing but salt ponds.
The farmers were astonished to see what
opnortunities were within their reach.
The result Is that truck farms have null
tiplied until freight traffic OF enormous
oroportions has been created.
The Long Island experimental farm has
been managed on economical lines. 1t
has more than paid its own expenses.
The Pennsylvania railroad is to establish
a similar farm on the Delaware penin-
Satisfactorily one Of the greatest truck
growing sections OF the country. Here,
however, a different proposition must be
met. The land has been cultivated to-
death. Instead of increasing the fertility
Of the soil the owners have permitted 1t
to deteriorate until today great difficulty
IN experienced in growing anything. The
railroad now intends to improve the land
and show what can be grown on 1t prof
itably today.