The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-12-21
A. 3. WEARS REPORT
Some Results OF the Farm Demon
stration Work In Polk County
for 1911.

A. ~. w ear, idlut NChiS- |
agent for Polk county during the
past year, at the request OF the pup
fishers of this paper, prepared the
following summary of his work and
its results:
During the year just closing
enrolled 90 farmers as demonstrate
ors, each of whom promised 10
work one or more acres under the
instructions of the Department OF
Agriculture. Nearly all OF these
made good their promise as 1ar as
circumstances would permit, ana
many of them complied with the
instructions very closely. A few
made some honest mistakes in try
ing to follow instructions, and thus
failed to get the full benefit, while
few seemed to make no effort to
cultivate as directed, but followed
the common method of deep cultl-
walton and ridging. These, OF
course, made no better crops than
their neighbors who cultivated IN
the same way, but their names,
once entered as demonstrators, their
crops must be reported the same
as those who followed instructions,
and it must be remembered that
crops of this kind cut down the av-
erage yield per acre very material
ly from what it would be If all had
followed the better methods.
There was total of 305 acres OF
cotton entered as demonstration
work, and the average yield is
1882 Is pounds of seed cotton per
acre. The best yields outside the
boys demonstraticn were made by
the following farmers: L. w. Hall
of Hatfield, 2030 pounds per acre;
Oliver Harrison of Board Camp,
20OO pounds per acre on three acres
and 2500 pounds on one acre. t. J.
Wear of Board Camp made seven
bales on six acres, while several
lother farmers made bale or more
Iper acre.
To determine the merits Of the
teachings we must look to the av-
erage rather than to the exception
ally high yields, and compare this
average with the average made I'M
der the common methods Of culti-
walton, and where it has been pos
sible to find a cotton crop nearby
a demonstration plot that has been
worked under ordinary methods
and is on land similar to that in
the demonstration, we have taken
the yield made by that crop, from
which we make a comparison OF
the two, and in this way we fine
that the average yield per acre or
similar land with ordinary methods
of cultivation is 542 pounds of SEED
| cotton, difference in favor Of the
demonstration work of 400 pounds
| per acre, or one-third of bile. Ir
other words, these 303 acres have
lproduced 100 bales more cotton
than the same land would have pro-
duced under ordinary methods.
There were f56 acres Of corr
enlisted as demonstration work
which made an average yield OF
% bushels per acre, while the av-
erage under ordinary methods or
similar land was IA bushels pei
acre, or difference in favor Of
demonstration work of nine bushels
lper acre, or i404 bushels of corr
more than the same land would
have made under ordinary meth
DDS of cultivation. It would be
we'll to explain here that our corr
demonstrations were nearly all or
i poor upland.
Besides the 90 farmers classed as
demonstrators, there were on the
| list 200 more, known as co-opera-
tors, who received the same in
struction as the demonstrators and
doubtless obtained IS good results
| in their crops. Add to these num-
bers one half of all the other farm
ers Of the county whose methods
lof farming have been more or less
influenced by the work, and you
/ will begin to get an idea as to what
the work has accomplished in the
way of immediate results in in
creasing this years crop of cotton
and corn in the county.
While these increased yields per
acre are the most apparent results
of the work, yet this is not the most
important thing attained. The in
creased interest of the farmer in
his business as a farmer, the les
ons of soil improvement by proper
management, of rotation and diver
sflcation of crops, of better pas
lures and more improved live stock
lin fact, every lesson pertaining to
farm management and the making
of prosperous farm homes are
things that will in the end count
for most.
We hope to see the good work go
on regardless Of the fact that the
county has withdrawn its aid, and
| hereby appeal to the farmers over
the county who are believers in
improved methods of farming to
lend their aid to the spread OF the
work until all Of our farmers have
learned the better way. Help to
interest the boys and get them to
join the corn and cotton club and
then help us to make this club a
success.
A. f. Wear
Special Agent.