The farmer and mechanic., 1911-10-03

toriaily in speaking of the great ad-
vance made in the South in increas-
ing production, with a small increase
in acreage:
The Southern gain, in short.
was made by getting more dol
lars an acre rather than by in
ScreaSing the acreage from the
beginning, American agriculture
has been seeking New Vests.
The Southern record is all the
more significant because it sug-
gests that New West may be
developed right on the old home
stead"
This is just what we have been
working for for many years. There
are thousands Of acres in the South
to build up and improve by good
farming, without any increase IN
acreage. 1t is far better and easier
to improve the old lands than clear
the forests for new. There is no
doubt that there is great spirit Of
Improvement all over the South. Bet
ter farming is being done in all sec
tions. The fact that The Progress
sive Farmer has attained SO large
circulation shows that the Southern
farmers are reading and studying their
profession. And when men begin to
There are neighborhoods in the South
with which l was familiar over twen-
ty years ago, where one who knew
the farming then and has not seen
it since would now be astonished at
the development that has taken place.
The Influences behind this improve
N ent are more than one. The farm
ers Institutes have done a splendid
work. The organizations Of the farm
ers which finally settled into the
Farmers Union have had a great
influence and as at present organized
and conducted, the union can be made
one of the strongest forces for good.
Then the agricultural colleges of
the South have generally stuck to
their work as technical institutions,
and have won the confidence Of the
farmers, who twenty years ago could
hardly be persuaded to send their
sons to study agriculture. Now they
are crowding the agricultural courses
of study, since the farmers have
realized the Importance OF technical
knowledge in their profession.
Last, but far from being least. is
the farm press of the South. We, too,
have stuck to our text, and have en-
deavored to devote our best attention
to the Improvement Of Southern agri-
culture especially. Having the great
est money crop Of the country,
crop which the South has almost a
monopoly, we have endeaVored espe-
cially to show the Southern farmers
the bonanza they have in the cotton
crop grown by good farming methods
and the folly and wastefulness of the
cid one-crop method. We need no
increase in acreage but a, steady in
crease in the product Of each acre.
The day is coming may not live to
see it, but it is coming-When instead
Of a beggarly average of less than
200 pounds Of lint an acre all over
the South the bales of the crop will
be counted by the number Of acres
planted, and the number of acres will
diminish rather than increase, while
the auxiliary crops will attain an
Importance that will make US
ashamed Of the old idea Of merely
growing supplies"
We will grow the supplies, of
course, and a great lot Of them to
sell and to feed to hogs and cattle.
And it is the young men Of the blood
of the Old South who are going to
be the leaders in this de-
opment. Not that We will not
welcome good men from other sec
tions, but the native young men Of
the South are getting their pride
aroused and they are not going to
leave the future to men from else
here, but they are themselves going
to be the leaders. They are hard
at work, these Southern youths, in
the schools and colleges and in the
farm crop contests. They have no
old notiohs Or superstitions to over
come, and the blood of the Old
South is going to make the New
South.
Making a Lawn.
As lawn is to be a permanent
affair, the preparation of the soil
should be deep and thorough and the
surface we'll fined and ieveled If
not already rich. the soil should be
heavily fertilized Then you can never
have good lawn if the whole space
is covered with big trees. particularly
oak trees. Elm trees will allow grass
to grow under their shade better than