The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-02-14
DEMONSTRATION WORK IN GEORGIA

United States Department of Agri-
culture, Office of the Secretary Wash
inton, D. C.-Secretary Wilson has
received the following report on de-
partment demonstration work in
Georgia:
We began four years ago with six
local agents working six counties. At
present we have sixty agents work
ing 80 counties, supervising approx
imately $1,000 demonstration farms.
The general average of yield Of
cotton on demonstration farms in
1908 was LOO pounds per acre; in
1903, 1908 pounds; in 1910, 1929
pounds The report for 1911 will
likely approximate 500 pounds per
acre. The average yield of corn per
acre in 1908 was 80 bushels; for
1909, "a bushels; for 1910, 35 bush
els, and about 81 bushels for 1911
We have secured but little local aid
from private individuals and but lit
tie from the state, as we have no law
in Georgia that will allow the county
board of commissioners to appropri-
ate any amount of money to be used
in cooperation with the demonstra-
tiOn work. We have organized
number of county fairs in different
counties in the state, have assisted
and CO-Operated with the state fairs,
and also assisted with the corn show
held in Atlanta the first of December,
in which at least 95 per cent of the
exhibits from Georgia were furnished
by the demonstrators and co-opera-
tors.
In 1909 we assisted the farmers of
Georgia in buying 20 Percheron
mares in Virginia. In 1911 we as
sisted in purchasing six carloads from
north Virginia and Louisiana. We
have not stressed the purchasing of
any other livestock, such as hogs or
cattle, so mach as we have the pur-
chasing of brood mares in order that
we may decrease the amount of mon
ey that the Georgia farmer pays for
mules.
The farmers of the state think a
great deal of the demonstration
work. They express themselves in
letters to my office almost every day.
There has been a large number of
one-horse farmers that have been
taught how to increase the yield of
corn and cotton on their small farms,
thereby increasing their earning ca
pacity to the extent that they are
enabled to buy better machinery and
better stock, give their children a
better education and better oppor-
tunity to make something of them
selves during their lives. For in
stance, a small farmer in Troup
county was given specific instructions
on 15-acre plat on which he clear
ed $1,3O3.25.
This winter and spring we shall
hold 60 meetings in the state. in
which we shall discuss the judicial
use of commercial fertilizer and some
phases of live stock.
We have assisted in organizing
boys corn clubs in number of coun-
ties, and the local agents have given
these boys instructions in the school
clubs and on the Individual farms.
The prospect in Georgia for the
demonstration work is exceedingly
bright and favorable. Nevertheless
we are confronted with the thought
that it is only a year or so until the
boil weevil will invade our territory.
There is to some extent an unrest
existing among our farmers and bus
mess men, especially among the cot
ton seed oil men and gin owners, but
if no unforeseen circumstance devel-
ops we will be in position to con-
troll to a very large extent the depre-
dation of the boil weevil, as the
farmers are taught ever yday how
| they may increase their yield of corn,
oats and other crops and by the in
PRODUCTION of few profitable crops
that may to a great extern be sub
stituted for the growth OF cotton.