St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1911-01-14
SCIENCE IN FARMING
One of Prime Necessities
Throughout Entire Country.
Soils of Country Are Greatest Asset
Nation Has and Progress In All
Directions Depends Largely on
Their Condition.

James Wilson, secretary OF agricul-
ture, In a recent address delivered in
Chicago, told Of the necessity of bet
ter farming throughout the entire
country. In the course of his remarks
he said:
To stop a growing decrease in tho
yield of the average acre, the govern
ment has made provision for the es-
Enlistment of agricultural colleges
and experimental stations. Within the
last few years the acre has been re-
spending better and the yield is In
creasing. Conservation of natural re-
sources has had a great deal of at
tention lately. I think broad-minded
men will have no difficulty in reach
Ing the conclusion that the soils of
the country are the greatest asset the
nation has, that progress in all direc-
tons depends upon the condition OF
the soil, and that there Is no material
inquiry of such great value as what
pertains to the soils of the United
States. The notion is not worth be-
ing entertained that any Of our soils
are beyond redemption.
The people of the older nations of
the world took care Of fertility of the
soil as matter Of prime necessity,
and long ago ascertained the proper
succession of crops and their relation
to the soil, the food of man, and the
food of animals.
They knew the soil must be fed,
that proper physical conditions must
be maintained, and they learned from
experience how to do it. They learned
that the decaying plant returned to
the soil is the best food the growing
plant can have. They became aware
that the removal Of the crops from
the farm resulted In soil deterioration
unless the equivalent was returned
from some source. They had dfscov-
cred the value of the legume in farm
management long before Hellriegel
discovered it's Office in fixing nitrogen
In the soil.
The southern states are making
stances Of production, indicating what
the soil can be made to do, might be
cited. Boys under sixteen years OF
age in South Carolina grew 228 bush
els of corn to an acre. Even In the
great corn belt nothing of that kind
has ever been done. The average in
the corn belt is quite low; that aver
ago might be greatly increased.
Each of 46,400 boys under sixteen
years Of age has grown corn or pota-
toes or tobacco or some other crop
during the season just passed. What
ever the boy is doing interests the
mature man. The southern states are
offering prizes to boys who have or
ganized themselves into clubs for the
purpose of bringing up to full activity
the productive powers of the southern
soil.
That might be done in other sec
tions Of the country with great profit.
The boy of 16 who has grown two or
three times the average amount of
corn grown on an acre in his state.
begets an interest in the farm. He
sees the profit resulting from good
management. He learns his first les
son with regard to fertilizing and with
regard to cultivation, the proper selec-
ton of seed, and all that; and he also
learns the most valuable lessons he
will ever get in his life.
Work similar to this need not be
confined to corn, tobacco and pota-
toes, but might also be done with re-
gard to all other farm interests.