Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-10-03
CHATHAM's MODEL FARM
A FINE ADVERTISEMENT
Prof. Johnson Tells What 1t
Has Done for the
County

sAvANNzH. Ga. Sept. So.-stating
that the Model Farm has proven q sue
cess as an advertisement for Savannah
and for the lands Of Chatham county.
Prof. James NJ. Johnson yesterday point
ed out several accomplishments on the
Model Farm which he says have fully
justified its establishment and show that
Il should not be abandoned.
The establishment OF a Model Farm to
illustrate the prOductiveness OF the soils
Of Chatham county was first agitated
late In 1s0s. In February, 1910. the farm
was established. Thh county commits
Es0ners leased 60 acres of ground in one
corner OF the county farm to the cham
Der OF commerce. The land had not
been cultivated for FIVE or six years. and
was covered by a heavy underground.
Convict labor was employed to clear the
parts where the underground was thick
est
In February. 1870 the chamber OF COM
merce secured the services OF Professor
Johnson. who was in Atlanta az the time.
engaged In writing articles for an agri-
cultural paper. Professor Johnson had
many years experience in experiment
stations before coming to Savannah He
worked eight years at the experiment
station at Athens. four years in North
Carolina and two years in West vir-
gtnia-
The expenses for farm labor, mules.
implements. buildings. etc. were paid out
OF the advertising fund OF the chamber
OF commerce. as was the salary Of Pro-
fessor Johnson Six or eight men were
constantly employed on the farm during
the first year at wages OF from g cents
10 81 q day.
The crops raised last year paid all ex-
penses OF the farm. including the up
keep Of the two mules which were used
IN the farm work. Professor Johnson
says Five acres were planted In corn
and the crop averaged 80 bushels to the
acre. II cost s76-5 TO raise the corn. or
about 20 1-3 cents a bushel. Had this
corn been sold IN the market at Savan-
nah II would have brought from 50 TO
% cents a bushel, Professor Johnson
says. Instead OF selling the corn, how
ever, 1t was used TO feed the mules
Enough corn TO feed the two animals
for Is months was raised on this plot OF
ground. and enough corn fodder to feed
them for two months. After the corn
was gathered enough hay 10 feed the
mules for a year and oats enough for
six months were raised on the same plot
Of ground
Forty out OF a possible 90 acres are
under cultivation. Corn. cotton, small
grain. forage crops, vegetables and truck
are raised on the model farm. The pro-
duce has brought enough money to pay
for the farm labor. and upkeep OF the
place, Professor Johnson says. This
does not include the salary OF the d.
rector, but he points out that this could
hardly be expected. inasmuch as he de-
votes twice as much time 70 other ag-
rfcultural subjects for the chamber Of
commerce as he does to the model farm.
The results attained by one expert
ment alone on the model farm justi-
les its continued support. according to
Professor Johnson II has been found
that the crop of oats in this vicinity
IS damaged from % 20 Is per cent yearly
by smut An experiment in treating the
seed before planting. used this summer
On the model farm. has cut 20 per cent
from the loss A small plot was planted
after the usual method without having
the seeds treated for purposes of COM
parison- The loss from smut in this crop
where the seeds were treated was about
: per cent; on the other plot about p
per cent.
While only small acreage was plant
ed in oats on the model farm. il ali
the farmers IN Chatham and adjacent
counties were to treat the seeds before
planting according to the system which
has proven TO be a success in the soil
Of this vicinity, Professor Johnson states
that a saving large enough to Justify the
rpkeep OF the model farm for years
would be made in one crop.
In reply to q question. regarding the
possibility OF abandonment Of the model
farm, Professor Johnson said: We'll. as
fast as we are harvesting this years
crops. we are planting for next season.
The model farm has paid for itself, and
has been OF great advertising value for
the lands OF Chatham county. Many out
siders are investigating the opportunities
in this vicinity, because Of the facts
brought out by experiments on the model
farm"