The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-10-08

Each a n1ile stone in the progress
OF the agricultural and inaustria, de-
Nelopment 81 the Old Dominion, the
State fairs show more than anything
else the remarkable work done BY
Virginia farmers an: Manufacturers
from YEAR Ia year and the steady i'm
provsment resulting from the adop-
stion of maaera ana more. scientific
methods.
This is particularly true in the sgriez
cultural aeid. where fer the last tea
or twelve years Nerttable campaign
for enlightenment has been Waged by
the State department al agriculture,
and whese some of the most eneoar-
aging changes are noticeable.
The exhibits Of agricultural pro-
ducts and agricultural implements
shown at the 1910 fair tell their
story more fereibiy than words can
relate. Eaeh exhibit. adds its etaptef.
and In going through the agricultural
and machinery buildings eae cannot
fail To be impressed with the spirit ri
progress which seems u prevail
everywhere
Corn exhibits show that The corn
breeders kaee accomplished within
the deeaae b. careful selection and
attention, From the ear. which ap-
peared 10 he Of excellent quality. bat
which could not bear scrutiny nor The
close examination al an export
product has been developed which Is
AS good as any raised in the world.
After iabafing according to old
ones. ana which do net eost as much
In production.
Worked for Farmer.
For years tie departments ol agri-
culture Of the nited states ana the
state II Virginia work~F1- to- impress
the farmers that Ii required more
La hor I. produce a good eTap than "A
poor oHe, and that As the cost WAS
Aeareeis aapreetabiy mere. the net re-
Sstits arctrtrtTg from good cfol ~vre
many times those of the poer crap.
Also they eudeasored 10 show that
10y attempting 10 cultivate too much
land the farmers in Virginia. as
throughout the south IN general, were
wasting time and labor. which. II ex-
pended on smaller plots, would result
In crops many TIMES the value of these
gathered frenf sAe larger bat poorly
worked fields.
The exhibits show how many new
breeds and cross breeds have been In
troducea. Particularly is TINS true VI
the corn entries. which indicate per
haps more than any ether one thing
The remarkable development which
uAS ltt&tA&$1 tIH AuDpAlbh OF SC&tnllIG
methods.
Each variety o1 corn. according 10
the laws III nature, mas its peculiar
Naiue-~4ts peculiar place In the axra-
cultural sphere. no ascertain the par
ucular merits II Tire various hreeds
sn the agricultural experts set 10 work,
And their Efforts haze been crowned
with golden success. fnr IA examining
into the qualities ot tae several Strains
HI -.
hidden secrets ot fertilization, which.
now haoars. enable the farmer To put
Just those INGREDIENTS upon his land
which Will produce tie desired results.
hy selection and cross breeding the
quality OF the Virginia ear" has been
increased faofe than 100 per cent.
The hask is longer and smaller. af-
1ording more SPACE Tor the grains.
which themselves have Developed in
4 very " onaeriGi fashion, being much
heavier. dee per. having larger kernels
and greater nutrient value.
by tne use III modern machinery
the farmer now spared the fearful
labor which so many found nearly Inn
possible 10 perform In the earlier
days. Many Virginia farms are now
worked almost entirely by mae hinery.
Time Is saved. Money Is saved The
crops are worA-d and produced in
less. time and with less hands, while
land pin~ed with machinery il none
Che less Well cultivated than when
worked with the Niger and the
pIow.'
Steam pinws Big Aid.
On the ow-Erounds and On the
fiatter uplapds piows are driven by
steam and gasolene. They open. by
means vi great revolving discs six or
seven burrows at time, turn the
sod welt unftsr and break the land to
depth of from eight To twelve
inches. allowing the moisture to ac-
cumuiate at the roots OF the growing
plants SO that except in the very driest
kind OF weather they cannot suffer
from lack of rain.
Not only TO break the soil are these
power driven machines used. for fol-
lowing the pillow and oftentimes driven
by the same motive force are cult
tAtorS and drags, which SO level and
smooth the land as to prepare a seed
bed OF the finest description.
The crop once in great steam and
gasolene rollers are used. all kinds
Ut which are on exhibition at the fair.
and are being critically examined by
farmes from every county In the
State. With these rollers the soil is
packed SO as to retain its moisture.
while at the SAME time the clods are
crushed and give up the many minute
roots which rotttng. materially add to
the fertility OF the land.
Farmers during the last hive years
have been particularly interested In
the gasoiene engine as supplying a
! motive power cheaply and easily con-
trolled. Until now the engines have
+ not been brought to their highest
state OF perfection. however. but
those now on exhibit at the fair
y provide and furnish the maximum
amount Of power with the least fuel.
They have q minimum number OF
( working parts which can become
q broken or which can get out OF fix,
and are consequently one OF the great
! est aids and labor saving devices which
( the farmer can have. whether to
|. piOw. harvest. thresh hts grain. saw
(Contiuuea - Second PAge.l