Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-03-28


tion work in Georgia, especially in
sumter county during the last year, is
-, itom of interest to every farmer in
tbis county and section.
From the last report made by Mr.. g.
Y cunningham, who was county
agent for the work until this year, 1t Is
shown bv the carefully kept records
that the average yield of 22 demon
strations in cotton comprises III acres
at 2O15.6 pounds per acre, while the
average for the county was about 1887
nornds an increase of 928.6 pounds in
favor of the government demonstration
methods.
There we're also 26 demonstrations
in corn containing 122 acres, giving an
average yield of 46.2 bushels of corn
as against an average for the county
of about Is bushels per acre. These
marked improvements in yields Of
such important crops should be suffici-
ent to cause the farmers of this coun-
ty to become converts to the govern
ment demonstration methods and to
apply them more closely than ever.
The demonstration work of the gov
ernment as it has been eXemplified
throughout the state during the past
year furnishes still further proof of
the value of these methods, if further
proof we're needed. The establishment
of this work in Georgia and it's rapid
growth is a matter of interest, as
shown by a resume of the work for the
last year
Some four years ago the lamented
Or. Seaman A. Knapp, founder of the
Demonstration work for the Southern
Farmers, secured the service of live
progressive farmer from Texas in the
person of Mr.. E. Gentry to come to
Georgia and take up with Georgia
farmers the work that has been the
means Of not only successfully COM
batting the ravages of the cotton Boil
Weeyil in East Texas, but that had
shown the farmers there their yield
per acre could be greatly increased
and that moderately low cost,
The work has progressed in Georgia
during these four years from only six
demonstration agents covering some
six counties the first year until now
there are siXty-four local county
agents covering seventy-two counties,
three district agents to work with
these men, and the state agent.
The late DR.. Knapp claimed that If
the Southern farmer would only put
thoroughly in to practice just four
simple things; thorough preparation
OF the soil in the fall, the use of good
seed, the judicious use of fertilizers,
and the rapid surface ulture of the
SOIL during the growing period of the
crops that the yield per acre could be
increased from two to three hundred
per cent. This fact has already been
proved by more than several hundred
Georgia farmers.
The data taken from last years crop
record books kept by each local agent
OF his demonstrations in his county
SHOWS that some of the results that
ought to cause many more farmers to
appreciate more fully and to put into
practice more thoroughly these simple
Ihlhgs that we all know to do but
which many have yet to come to do as
thoroughly as they might
The Bureau of Statistics in its
preliminary estimates, Dec, II, 1911,
gives the average yield of seed cotton
Tor Georgia in 1911 as 7,21 lbs. per
acre from 5,012, ,164 acres, and corn as
10 bushels per acre from 3.692,0
acres Examining the results of the
demonstration work in Georgia for
idlI we find where / ,555, cotton de-
inonstration consisting of 1927 acres
SWING an average of AS acres for
7dch demonstration. On this acreage
"h average yield of 1,510 lbs. per acre
was produced by demonstration meth
ouS as against 1872 lbs for the state
Tor the state
mus 1t appears that the general
average shows an increase of 10t
p7Fceht. At valuation of $500 pei
hundred this increase amounts &c
@z6'54 per acre, or $173,346.19on th@
1424 acres.
mere We're also 1882 corn demon
'uation comprising 5,119 acres, givins
"h average of 81 acres for each de-
''onstration, on this acreage an aver
age yield of 1872 bushels of shelle,
corh per acre was produced by demon
S'ia'lon methods as against 16 bushel:
PEI acre for the state. Thus it is showr
>"'' lhe general average gives an in
crease of las per cent or 1872 bushel
pei acre. which at seventy cents pc
ouShel shows an increased value
1894 per acre, or $S3, 1928 on the 5,
ll9 acres.
combining results on these tw
O'ops we find total of $256 ,47S.74 rep
e'elllng the value of increased pr0
Uue'lon of cotton and corn In Georgi
uue to demonstration methods on IL
"cres reported for the year 1911.