The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-06-06

ing to fall back upon and starvation
stared the greater part Of the popula-
ton in the face.
What Uncle Sam Did.
This was the situation when Uncle
Sam, Patriarch. In the person OF his
agent. the late DR.. Seaman A Knapp.
began to instruct the farmer how to
fight this terrible bug and still make
money out of his land. DR.. Knapp's
plan was to teach US how to control
the weeV1l as far as possible from
season to season, and by the proper
selection Of seed and by deep piow-
ing and narrowing to produnce plants
which would yield more cotton, or.
rather. enough to feed the necessary
weevils and leave something TO spare.
His motto was Double the crop by
good farming or, rather. raise tho
same crop on half of the land
The plan also provided for dversi-
fed farming, to make the farmer raise
all Of his own supplies, all his farm
animals and their feed, and to have
one patch which should be planted to
cotton to furnish the cash for the
family. This last fitted in with tho
conditions. for the boil Weevil destroys
credit wherever it goes and the farm
ers are compelled to raise other things
il. order to live.
$4,000 Demonstration Farms.
The work began in Texas in 1904
and it has now spread throughout tho
south. The government has $50
agents in the cotton belt. and more
than $4,000 demonstration farms,
upon which the planters, under the
weekly direction Of these agents and
their assistants, are raising cotton
after government methods. In the
boil weevil region there are county
clubs of such farmers. and the stories
of the success of their mem berS have
ia ken the place of politics as topic
of conversation.
The government agent selects, as
far as possible, the best farmers and
asks them to plant out an acra of cot
ton at some conspicuous place on his
estate. 1t is, if possible, at cross
roads, or at least near some road SO
that the people may see the results
as they go by sign marking the
spot as government farm Is put up
and this place is visited by the farm
ers for miles around and the opera
tions carefully watched. At the start
the farmers are always skeptical and
it is difficult to get them to make the
experiment. After the first year.
however, they are anxious TO try. and
the demonstration farms multiply. In
hundreds of counties this work has
reyolutionized the methods Of farming
and men who were practically bank
rupt have become rich. The deposits
in the savings banks have increased
and new banks are being started in
nearly all such regions.
The credit system is on the decline.
The planters are raising heir own
SUPPLIES and with many of them the
cotton receipts are almost all clear
gain.
\ Talk With Government agents.
While at the Department OF Asri-
culture today / had long talk With
two Of Uncle sam 3 agents who have
been in charge OF this co-oDeratlE.
demonstration farm work for the Ou-
reau OF plant industry OF the Depart
menr of Agriculture. Each has his
own territory. through which he moves
about from state to state and county
to county. experimenting the demon
strators and their hundreds of agents.
These men are W b Mercier ANA II.
r Sayeiy. both OF Mississippi Thy
tell me that they are raising more cot