Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-01-11
EXPERTS LECTURE FARMERS
How to Raise Poultry, Potatoes, and
Tomatoes Told by Experts. The
Best Way to Use Fertilizers.


Gloucester County farmers and
those interested in such subjects were
treated to few lectures by experts
in their particular fields of interest
Monday morning when the Pennsyl-
vania railroad ran their Farmers
Lecture Train, manned by professors
from the State Experiment Station
and others. The train made only two
scheduled stops in Gloucester County
on that day, but on Tuesday morning
lectures were given at Clayton and
1 Newfield.
That these lectures are popular and
are appreciated by the farmer is to be
seen by the attendance at the talks
given, and the keen interest with
which the farmer listened to every
word And then the questions asked
I showed that he knew what he was
there for, for none of them were of
/ the foolish school-boy variety.
That the lectures were of benefit to
the listener is without question. Some
who follow the bulletins gotten out by
the State and to be obtained from 9TH
er sources too, were familiar with
most of the material brought by the
/ experts for diffusion in this county,
but there were many others to whom
the methods and ideas advanced were
distinct novelties.
The train was composed of five
coaches. In the baggage car of one,
4 restaurant had been improvised !;
| another was fitted up for the R R.
officials accompanying the train and
/ those having the lectures in charge.
Another car was an ordinary day
coach for lectures While another one
was fitted up for the use of lantern
so that the lectures might be Illus
| trated. The illustrated lectures were
on the subjects of poultry and the use
of fertilizers.
/ A separate car contained the exhi-
bits. Here were to be found several
varieties of apples, showing healthy
/ fruit and the effects of disease on
what would otherwise have been good
apples. A section of this car was re-
served for showing the proper way
I to ship and pack eggs; in another
/ part, two hogs of the Berkshire var
iety were exhibited, while in still an
Eother section, chickens, both good and
poor breeders, were shown The ex-
hibits attracted much attention but
there was scarcely time enough to get
satisfactory view of them.
The train left Camden on its Glou-
cester County tour shortly after s
! O'Clock stopping at Woodbury. to let
on reporters and others interested. J.
Paulsboro was reached about 9,o'cloek
where a group of about so entered
the train. Most of them went into the
car where the lecture on potatoes was
to be given, but several listened to
the talk on poultry raising and ferti-
/ lizers in the next car.
At Paulsboro, Prof. J. G.. Lipman
delivered short talk on fertilizers.
/ The humus question is the first to be
solved said DR.. Lipman. Cow peas,
alfalfa and crimson clover help to
solve it. He then went into the use
fof lime. All productive soils contain
fairly large amounts of lime, but in
humid climates soils lose a certain
amount of lime from year to year:
more lime is lost from being washed
away than from any other cause !.
Sandy soils can get along with. less
lime than heavy soils. Nitrogen is
another important element in the soil.
Lupin adds 200 lbs. of nitrogen in a
single season; clover, COW peas, etc.,
| add humus and nitrogen. Market
garden crops respond readily to ni-
trate of soda. To make Fertilizers
available, the requirements of the
crops must be studied, as we'll as the
soil.
Profitable Egg Production was the
subject of DR. Lewis address. The
/ first thing to do is to select the best
breed adapted to the purposes for
which the poultry is kept. The white
Leghorn lays the best white egg. and
this is the kind of egg most in de-
mand. For family use, the Plymouth
Rock is the best, and it has a good
carcass for market. The kind of
chicken to be kept, however, depends
on the market that is to be catered
to, for the requirements of the diff
ferent markets vary.
( Always have the stock healthy. At
this time of year, pick out the strong
birds and use these for the eggs for
Matching The chicks should be se-
lected while young, and the poor ones
marketed as soon as possible. The
culling process. should be going on
all the time. After the chicks are
hatched they should be given: /.
I Free range. q Lots Of shade and
green food. g. Dry mash, and so
kept growing constantly.
/ For housing the chickens, the shed
roof house is considered the most
practical. A muslin curtain can be
used with advantage in place Of win
ldows in the winter where glass is
usually used. The curtain allows lots
of ventilation without letting in the
objectionable draft. One sq. It. Of
curtain to about to 5 it. Of floor
| space is the proper proportion.
! In building the house, it should be
made rat-proof, which means that q
concrete floor is essential. Excavate
about ten inches below the surface.
/ Then make the bottom layer OF Gin
ders, then the concrete on the cinders
and then put some tar on the con-
lcrete. On the tar, an inch or two Of