Evening journal., 1912-09-02
EXPERT HAS
SOIL TIPS FOR
FARMERS
Penn. R. R. AgriCuIturiSt
Shows How Poor Sussex
Land Was Made Profitable
EXPERIMENT HERE
A BIG SUCCESS

ferSlty, mas been appointed agrlcul- |
surist OF the Pennsylvania Railroad, |
with offices at the Broad Street |
Station. For three years Mr.. Lippin- |
colt has been superintendent of the |
ffty-acre experimental farm Of the |
Pennsylvania Railroad at Bacon, Sus-
sex County, this state. He had DEM
onstrated to the satisfaction OF the !
most skeptical tillers that Pennsyl- !
vania soil at its worst, can be made !
to produce handsome profits by scien-
tihc methods.
Three years ago the railroad bought
tract of tangled waste land near
Bacon, overgrown with rank sassa-
fras. sweet briar and weeds. Farm
ers had long since agreed the soil was
useless. Lippincott was selected to
redeem the tract and prove beyond
doubt that there is no such thing as
useless land in Pennsylvania. He
made good. and now the experimental
farm is demonstrating to hundreds Of
agriculturists that the apparently
barren soil of the Delaware-M Maryland
Virginia peninsula can grow anything
from cotton, peanuts and tobacco to
French artichokes if it is properly
treated.
When Farmer Lippincott took
charge of the wilderness he was cali
ed upon to redeem he went to work
clearing It at once. Thickets were
leveled. trees we're cut away and
stumps we're burned. The ashes we're
left on the ground, to be plowed under
as the first fertilizer. Then SOY
beans were planted, TO be plowed un-
der as soon as the crops became
green. During the first season catch
crops of clover, rye and COW peas
fourished. and during the last part OF
that same year thirty-six varieties Of
vegetables we're raised at a proft.
Orchard is Redeemed.
There was an unhealthy and un-
productive peach orchard on the tract,
and apple. pear plum, ounce and
cherry treese we're interplanted
scientifically. Now these trees are
bearing generously. The old peach
orchard was sprayed, trimmed and
nursed until it lowered and bore fruit
that has taken prizes at the county
fairs. Raspberrics. currants, black
berries, strawberries, dewberries,
gooseberries and grapes took the
place of a riot of weeds and flourish
ed. The fruit compared favorably IN
the markets with the products OF the
most valuable truck-raising land in
the state.
A small application of stable man
uro and 500 pounds of lime raised
forty-seven bushels of corn to the
acre the first year Now the same
soil is raising 125 bushels to the acre.
Lima beans from the demonstration
farm are yielding $40 to the acre;
gooseberries, $3.50; cucumbers, SlO4;
Watermelons. $50; muskmelons, S42;
radishes, $4270; leeks, Sal; onions
s4O.37, and sweet potatoes, $4,000.
Three crops of lettuce, rhubarb, heets
and white potatoes have been mar
vested at a good pront.
At present there are thirty-four
acres under cultivation. Virtually ten
acres remain to be reclaimed. These
at first presented an appearance not
unlike a canebrake, except tnat the
thicket was interspersed with a lew
large trees and many stumps.. Inc
whole was swampy land. at times al
most covered with water. The Wotk
of putting this into shape has been
going on slowly, and it viii prooaoly
be plowed i'm the late fall. A ui'cl
which ran along one end OF thls lanu
has been deepened to draw OIL Tue
water. The smaller growth mas SUI
cumbed TO the billhoook. stumps
have been blasted out anu
while much still remains TO
he done IL is already evident that
this will soon be paying good inter-
est on the investment of time and
labor put into It.
Buildings RemOdeled.
farmhouse. in much need OF re-
paIr. and several dilapidated out
buildings we're on the place when II
was purchased. The former has been
given the attention it needed, and is
now occupied by the farmer and his
family. A neat bungalow was put up
for the office and headquarters OF the
agricultural expert Modern barns
with cement floors took the place OF
the old, and an up-to-date pigsty was
installed.
Some of the natives we're much
amused at the new style pigsty. Ihe
luxury Of cement floor and cleanliness
for pigs seemed supernuous TO them 4;
they suggested that cigars and palm
leaf fans should be added to the
equipment
small Dollhouse is being operated
with success. There are opportunities
on the peninsula for hothouse men
which have so far been largely neg
lected. Instead of paying high prices
for land further north and nearer
cities, those interested in cultivation
under glass would do we'll to turn
to the peninsula. The location is ideal
for this class of gardening. The sun
Is so warm in winter that good crops
can be grown by its heat almost with
out artificial aid
While further north fires must be
kept roaring all the time, here It Is
only necessary to use steam at night
and during the early morning. The
advantages Of being situated near q
city are overcome by the excellent
transportation facilities OF this region
Cold frames have proved to be yer,
practical for early plants and fol
raising plants from seeds.
A small part of the peninsula dem.
onstration farm has been irrigated
For this purpose a 10.000-gallon stor.
age tank. with an engine for pumping
the water. has been set up. Ths
whole thing, while costing more thar
ne average small farmer can AFFORD
% invest, was far from prohibitive ir
cFice When sufficient capital for
his Is available good crops are assur
Cd every year.
Az Service of Farmers.
Besides showing improved methods
of farming through practical demon
strations. the man in change Of tn,