The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1910-09-02
Intensified Farming.

On another page Of this paper will bc
seen letter from Hon FINS J. Garrett
informing the farmers Of the Ninth Con.
gressional District that-he has perfected
arrangements whereby advantage can
be taken Of the offer made by the Gov
eminent to make practical demonstra-
tons in intensified and economical
farming. 1t will be seen that the Gov
eminent proposes to allot $500 to the
county which will make contribution
Of like amount, and with the 5000
thus raised an agent will be employed
who will give his entire time for at least
eight months in the year to that coun-
ty visiting personally the farmers who
will agree to grow few acres Of some
standard crop under the directions and
instructions of the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture. The farmers who
make this agreement and the commu-
nifty are 10 have the benefit OF the extern
sive researches and experiments that
have been made by the Department,
one Of the most valuable governmental
divisions in the world.
The Commercial will have to plead
remisness in this enterprise. Mr.. Gar
rett and Mr.. Campbell have both been
here on two or three occasions in behalf
OF thisNwork, and it deserves more at
tention than has been given it in this
county.
OF all counties hereabouts Obion
County needs these demonstrations the
most. Unfortunately our farms are
large and sparsely peopled, therefore
our resources are not what they should
be for a country which is the richest in
the State. Gibson, Dyer, Weakley and
many Others are all in more flourish
ing state of prosperity than Obion for
the simple reason that they have smaller
farms and more farmers. Many of the
farmers in this county are large land
holders. They are reaching out for
quantity and not quality. They are
growing large crops with few troopers.
They are not getting the best results out
Of the soil
The country everywhere is turning to
intensified farming, and Obion County,
which needs it most is neglecting these
advantages. Many Of our people rest
under the old-fogy impression that has
been made by ridiculing scientific meth
DDS in farming. The researches which
have been made by the United States
Department of Agriculture are not sim
ply farming on paper but the results OF
practical demonstrations actually made
on the farm, results of the work of Ex-
detrimental Stations. Obion County,
with the richest lands in the world and
a comparatively small population, needs
these demonstrations and needs them
badly. If any county in the State can
afford to accept this offer it should be
Obion. There is more to be gained by
the Obion County farmer than any 9th
er, for he has the most productive land.
A full crop of corn nearly every year
is what the 0bion County farmer gets,
but his wheat and other crops are not
so regular A full wheat crop comes
about once every four years. Cotton
and tobacco are not more reliable than
wheat, not so much So
What the 0bion County farmer needs
is to get the full producing value Of
every acre OF his soil every year. This
is work that the Government is propos-
ing to do, but it cannot be done by the
Government alone. The farmer must
cooperate with the Government in the
The county is asked for small sub
scription only, and that subscription is
to be applied to the demonstrations
made in the county for the benefit of
the county-ior the benefit of the com
munity which raises the subscription
and enters into the agreement to devote
. small amount of land to some standard
crop.
The County Court could well afford S
10 make this appropriation, leastwise ;
the farmers cannot afford to miss the /
of getting together and dis I
GUESSING the subject with their magis- {
rates. The question of improved and I