Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-10-27
What Education TN agriculture
Means TO the Practical Farmer

Below is printed volunteer contrlDu-
ton from a successful and progressive
Georgia farmer who stepped long enough
In his busy life to visit the State Col
lege OF A agriculture and spend ten days
In an endeavor TO secure definite scien-
tific information which he might sue
cessfully apply in the operation OF MS
farm This letter is printed 10 let the
thousands OF dther farmers who read
these columns see what benefits Mr..
Grower believes he received from the
Instruction offered at the college II
farmers might only hope TO secure par
OF the benefit indicated In Mr. Grower
letter, would il not pay hundreds OF
them to take advantage Of the opportunl-
~ which the state provides for their ben
eft in the way Of short coursesF No
man can live unto himself and succeed.
When he attempts 70 do so he falis into
a rut and begins TO move around ana
around in a circle. Contact with one 5
fellows and the Incorporation Of new
IDEAS into the daily routine of the farm
wIdens the scope OF action and brings
into play forces which viii otherwise
remain latent throughout life. The farm
afford 10 learn in the dull and expensive
school OF practice rather than 10 gain
er has believed too long that he could
70 years OF time by taking advantage OF
scientific facts and truth as Established
through research agencies, and which ne
may readily assimilate II he viii pause
long enough TO take holiday and nnd
out what progress IS being made reia-
tive 10 his business Mr. Growers let
ter should be an inspiration 10 thou
sands OF farmers, and should be the only
data needed 10 convince them OF tne
wisdom OF education as a means 70 the
advancement Of all who cultivate the
soil:
The first OF this year took course
at the College OF Agriculture, and VII
never be able to estimate its value 10
me
own about I75 acres Of land. have
teen farming all my life. and l Thought
/ understood the work fairly well until
/ attended a ten days short course al
the college last winter i saw THINGS
in 4 different way as oson as / began 70
attend the lectures Prior TO this time
have been running five single plows
which OF course required five hands Inis
year instead OF working five hands,
bought two. two-hOrse cuiuvators ano
used only two hands.
In the first place 1 prepared my land
well by blowing Il deep and narrowing
II thoroughly Then the fertilizer had &c
be applied. Last year I used IL tons OF
1o-2-s xuano ready mixed which cost me
exactly 500 or Ss.H per ton A little
figuring viii show that my nitrogen cost
me % cents per pound. phOsphoric acid
cost cents per pound and potash cost
cents per pound
While al the college heard ten lee.
lures on fertilizers From these ] could
readily see that il was foolish to buy
and pay exhorbItant rices for ready mix
ed goods. when ] could bay the material
and mix them 10 suit my own condltlor
OF soil and crops. So this year ] pur-
chased only the material and did all my
own mixing on the farm. ] put the same
amount OF money. 500. into fertilizers
bur instead OF getting Il tons / got :
tons OF high-grade material. In othei
words. I got 3.20a pounds Of phosphoriS
acir. l.aao pounds OF nitrogen. and SsS
pounds OF potash. Had this materia
cost me the same as IL did last yeal
my fertilizer bill would have been SOS
instead OF 500 But 1 only paid IS cents
Per pound for nitrogen. IL cents pei
pound for phosphoric acid and i
cents per pound for potash as agains
Is cents. cents and cents respective