Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-08-09
Farm Improvement Work.

Washington, July 31.-President Finley of the
Southern Railway Company, announced to-day that
the management of that Company, realizing the
great opportunity for increasing the prosperity of
the territory traversed by it's lines through build
ing up soil productivity and increasing the average
crop yield per acre. had decided to organize a de-
partment of farm Improvement work to begin OBJ
erations on September LIST. This department will
work on the cooperative demonstration plan, first
adopted by the late DR.. s. A. Knapp, of the
United States Agricultural Department. 1t will
aim to show to the farmers what they can do on
on their own lands and with their own resources.
This plan has been followed with marked success
by the Southern Railway Cotton Culture Depart
ment in the territory along the line of the advance
of the Mexican cotton boil weecil. 1t is now pro-
posed to extend the work over the system gener-
ally and to adapt it to the peculiar conditions of
each locality.
The Cotton Culture Department is to be
merged into the Department of Farm Improve
ment Work. and Mr.. T. O. Plunkett, who has been
General Agent of the Cotton Culture Department,
IS to be at the head Of the new organization with
the title of Manager of Farm Improvement Work.
His office will be in Atlanta, Ga, and three Assist
ant Managers OF Farm Improvement Work will be
located at advantageous points. A force of field
agents will be appointed to visit farmers in their
respective localities and cooperate with them for
the demonstration of those methods of culture and
soil treatment which may be expected to produce
the best results in the way of increased crop
yields, This work will be carried on in co-opera,
ton with the State Commissioners of Agriculture,
the State Agricultural Colleges, and the United
States Agricultural Department. 1t will be en-.
tirely free of cost to the farmers wishing to avail
themselves of it in the territory traversed by the
lines of the Southern Railway; Alabama Great
Railroad; Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific
Railway; Georgia Southern & Florida Railway
Mobile & Ohio Railroad; Northern Alabama Rail
way. Southern Railway in Mississippi, and Vir
gina & Southwestern Railway.
The work of the Department of Farm I'm
provement Work is to be entirely separate from
that of the Southern Railway Land and industrial
Department which will, as heretofore, carry on it,
cooperative work for the location of industrie.
and farm settlers and for the general development
of the territory ~traversed by the lines of the South
ern Railway System.
Speaking of the Department of Farm Improve
ment Work, President Finley said:
Its purpose is to be broadly helpful to
the territory traverSed by our line. can con.
ceive of nothing that would be of more bene-
fetal to the Southeastern States than a SUBJ
stantial increase in the average yield of farm
crops such as 1t is the aim of the Department
of Farm Improvement Work to endeavor 70
bring about. The increased prosperity of the
farmer would be reflected in all lines of bust
hess. | believe therefore, that all those inter-
ested in the development of our section who
are in a position to aid this movement can
very properly do so. The State Commissions
ers of Agriculture, State Agricultural Colleges
and Experiment Stations are doing yaluabll
work, and the newspapers of the Southeast
which give special attention to the publication
of the advice of recognized experts on agricul-
tural matters are most helpful. 1t shall be the
policy of our Department of Farm Improve
ment Work to cooperate with all these agen-
cies and to seek their cooperation"