The Sentinel=record., 1911-09-17
SUGGESTION OF JUDGE FARMER FOR DEMoNsT RATION PLOTS
 RECEIVE FAVOR.
Heads of the Big Trunk Lines of the State Make Answer to the Sug aestions by Our County
 Judge.


 soil along the lines would produce. as made by County Judge Thurston P. Farmer to the officials of these roads. have mel with general inter- est and favor.
 The answers, coming as they do from the big men in railroad circles. and on subject of farm development which is most vital to all Of our people. are given herewith in their entirety:
 MT. Thurston P. Farmer,
 Hot Springs, Ark,
 My Dear Sir
 have received and greatly appre ciate yours of Sept. 9th. The sugges- ton is splendid one, and l will for ward your letter to President E. L. Winchell, at St. Louis, for his con sideration
 We are doing great deal of work having several men whose entire at Iention is given to bettering agricu tural conditions. We are support ing several experimental farms, and now have in contemplation nun mer of others We have recently created a new office for our Louis jana and Texas Mnes that is, a di rector of Agriculture. and have ap. pointed to this position Dr. Harring- lon, formerly president of the Agr,- cultural College of Texas. As he will be supplied with a motor ear, he will be able, not only to travel upon the lines of the Frisco but to Visit all farmers adjacent to our lines in that territory. In this way We hope to make every farm an ex perimental farm as far as we can keeping in constant douch with them
 There are a few farmers who take to new conditions and new methods promptly. There are others, as yon will find in every class, who are slow CT, but they are now becoming so intensely interested that I see great results in the near future for our agricultural products.
 An important move, and one that you could largely aid is the redmc tion of cost of selling; that is, better marketing of tae products of the farm. A man has accomplished oni, one-haaf his duty to Ihimseld and family when he has grown. his crop The other half is in getting the besl price for it.
 One of the things that may prov, di1flcule in uafig right-of way for farming purposes would be the greai distance that would have to be GOV cred by supervision. Right-otway av erages only one hundred feet ii width, and where there is double tracking, one half of this is neces. sary for track purposes, inchdeig
 drainage. etc.. which would only leave twenty-five feet on each siue only call your attention to this as one of the possible barriers to the plan but station grounds and such places as you are utilizing for yoin court house farm can be used fol Qualification and the development oi agriculture.
 Thanking you for writing me, I am, Yours very truly,
 B. F. YoACUM. ThultAon P. Farmer, Esq,
 Hot Springs, Arkansas.
 Dear Sir
 l have your letter of the 7th insr, with reference to improving ana beautifying the right of way Of shis company in Arkansas.
 This has been matter of concern to us for a long time and we are doing all we can with the means al our command to improve the appear. ance of our right of way. The plan set forth by you is eminently sound and would be productive of a great deal of good as an advertisement to the thousands of people who travel over the line. but as you no doubl understand. we must take into ac count in such matters the expense that would be entailed;; and when as at present railroad revenues are barely adequate to enable us 10 meet imperative obiigations, W, would scarcely be justified in goins to any large expense 10 establish experimental farms along the right of way. However, we are doing great deal in this regard along om line undef the supervision of a very efficient Agricultural Depart ment, which is working in connection with the Federal and State Agrieul tural Departments fin the education of the farmer. the cultivation of tn, soil, rotation Of crops. Fertilization,