The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-11-23
CAPT. ROSE
ADDRESSES A
BIG MEETING
.FLoRIDA's STATE CHEMIST WAS
AMONG THE SPEAKERS AT
MEETING OF AGRICULTURE
WORKERS IN ATLANTA.
Special to the Journal.

Tallahassee, Nov. 22-In an al
| dress made today before the Com
missioners of Agriculture and Other
Agricultural Workers, meeting in con-
vention in Atlanta Captain r. E.
Rose, Florida state chemist and
president of the Association, spoke
| in effect as follows:
| Commissioners of Agriculture and
Other Agricultural Workers, Ladies
and Gentlemen.
On this occasion, the twelfth annu-
al convention of this association, l
| am pleased to note the presence Of
so many of our agricultural commits
sioners and their co-workers in the
| development of southern agriculture.
The idea of this association was
| conceived by Hon. O. 3. Stephens,
then commissioner of agriculture of
Georgia. Mr.. Stephens recognized
| the necessity of cooperation and uni
| formity of laws among the southern
| states, especially in that important
| southern commodity, commercial fer
tilizers, and called together meet
| ing of his fellow-commissiorers to
| discuss this and other topics Of in
! terest to the agricultural element.
The meeting was held in Little Rock,
| h.,
| fertilizer laws, with more uniform re-
| quirements of statements and guar
antees, simpler and more compre-
| hensible. Since then the work has
| broadened, until the convention now
! claims as members the various agrh
| cultural workers, agricultural chem
lists and other specialists. animal hus-
bandmen, and representatives from
colleges, experiment stations and the
| agricultural press. In consequence,
! the association has become of far
more than local Importance. 1t has
broadened out to national utility.
The published proceedings of our
meetings have become important, not
/ only to our own states, but to many
others. The papers prepared, the dis
| cusslOnS had; the truths taught by
men of known ability in their par
ticular lines, have become classical
and authoritative.
In looking over the fields of south
ern agriculture which constantly in.
creases as the horizon broadens, as
we rise above the valley of ignor-
ance, tradition, and, may I say it.,
superstition; above the mists Of hab-
1t and custom, to the clearer atmos-
phere of truth and accurate knowl.
edge Of cause and effect; We wonder
how In the past the farmer, employ.
ing crude, wasteful and laborious
methods and tools; succeeded in feed
ing and clothing the country.
! How was it possible to accomplish
as he did this stupendous task? The
answer is patent and shows palpa.
bly, in our depleted, worn, robbed and
unproductive fields. Nature. always
lavish had stored in our virgin fields
immense potentialities for the pro.
duction of food and raiment We,
unconscious of the crime, were rob-
bers; robbing ourselves and our chill
dren of this vast store of agricul-
tural wealth; not only by the crops
we removed, and the wasteful meth.
, DDS We employed. burt by assisting
the elements, fire and flood, to re
: move from our fields their priceless
fertility.
Renew Fertility Of Soils.
This, gentlemen, is one of the prob
lens that now confront you. How
are we to renew the fertility of oul
SOILS, to meet the rapidly increasing
demands of our people? How car
we again make fertile and produc
tive our worn, sun-burned, gully
washed fields? In my opinion, this
can only be done by diversificatior
ana rotation, and by eliminating the
one-crop system SO generally preva
lent on our southern farms.
; We must restore the humus to OIL
worn fields; employ better system
of preparing seed beds; deepen on
soils. Especially must we increas.
l our livestock, thus conserving an,
increasing the fertility of our soils.
, lay particular stress upon this last
] because | believe that upon anina
|, huSbandry in its various forms. large
ly depends the future successful an,
profitable development of our south
7 ern agriculture.
There are many scientific facts nov
known to our agricultural college
and experiment stations which. to
large extent. have been reduced t
practical working conditions, an
pTDnshed IN their numerous report
and bulletins; facts more or less fl
. miliar to all of you. but how muc
OF this valuable information has 60
ten to the working farmer, the me
upon whom we depend for our dali
Il food? How can we best impart thes
facts and the best method of apDl,
i ing them to the man who needs theI
most? This is your problem, gentl
men, and | have no doubt you wi
find the solution
i Until within the generation farm
:, ing was by rule of thmub.' trad
ton and experience. No reason
, were known for the different DR.
cesses, which varied with each il
{. dividual locality. Like Topsey, I'll
', farmer Just growed." with no re
- son except the necessity for his grow
- Ing. Necessity. however. has mad
- the demand, and now science, whic
!, is simply accurate observation an
- recording of apparent truths, is no
~ doing for agriculture what she hi
~ done for other professions. Tt
~ truth has dawned-how will you Or
NJ claim it to the people that they ma
NJ understand and apply it?
70 Wonderful Increase in Crops.
N The wonderful increase in O,
rs crops by proper selection of seed
by plant breeding and selection
IS varieties adaptable TO various sol
a and climates: the discoveries in II