The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-22
MAKING PLANS TO
HELP THE FARMER
COMMISSIONER KOINER DISCUSSES
DETAILS OF THE THREE pro-
JEcTED STATIONS.
GOOD RESULTS SHOWN
DEPARTMENT WORKS OUT FARM
EWs PROBLEMS FOR HIM AND
EXAMPLES SHOW THAT HE
rs PR0FITING.

Commissioner OF Agriculture G. w
day of the plans of the State board
koiner talked Interestingly yester-
OF agriculture for new experiment
stations, adopted at the meeting the
other day.
The three stations which are to be
established at once are will be To-
Gated in Accomae, Charlotte and
Henry counties, as stated in the vir-
ginian yesterday. The Accomac sta
tbon will be a sort of an adjunct
to the Norfolk county station, and
there experiments will be conducted
and tests made principally for the
bepefits of the eastern shore truck
ers
To Aid Tobacco Growers.
At the Charlotte county station,
which will be in the heart of the
bright tobacco belt, the experiments
will be devoted largely to tobacco
culture. while at the Henry county
station the tests will be more general
embracing also experiments for the
benefit OF fruit growers. With the
permanent stations already estab-
lished in Norfolk county and Augusta
county. the V. p. /. station at Blacks
burg. which co-operates with the
state department; the national de-
partment headquarters at Burke
vile, where Captain r. O. Sandy, Miss
Ella Agnew and the new poultry ex-
pert. Mr.. klnghorne. hold forth, and
the three new stations now planned,
the State departments agricultural
educational venture will be we'll dis
tributed and In shape to do a greater
work than has ever before been at
tempted for the benefit of the far
uier.
Plan Temporary Stations.
| IL Ia not the intention of the board
| To make the three new stations per-
manent. and only temporary build
| ings will be necessary. 1t is rathee
j the idea to eduate the farmers of
the county In the use of the proper
/ fertilizers and by experiments and
| tests in agriculture show him how
/ to make two blades of grass grow
+ where one grew before. and 'then
| transplant the station to another
county.
| Commissioner koiner stated yes
/ terday, however. that 1t was hoped
before many years elapsed to have
/ one of these experiment stations in
every county in the state. The sta
| tons already established, he said,
| had amply demonstrated their inesti-
mable value to the agriculturalist.
/ Just as an example of what was be-
( ing done he cited an instance Of
| wherein the Norfolk county station.
| through the efforts of Professor
| johnson. had succeeded in perfect
ing a fertilizer formula for the crow
! ing Of kale that had saved the truck
ers in the Norfolk section thousands
of dollars. He had discovered, by
numerous tests. formula which was
exactly suited to that vegetable; was
| much cheaper than the fertilizer they
had beep nSfpp and producel lar
ger. finer crop. This was just one
| example of many cited.
Work Out Farmers Problems.
| These stations are convincing the
! farmer of the almost limitless pos
sibilities OF Virginia soil; they are
! showing him how to grow a thousand
| bushels OF onions and a thousand
bushels OF potatoes to the acre where
he produced half or less than half
that amount before. These expert
snent stations work out their prob
lens for them and the results show
that the farmers are profiting. OF
course the results OF the important
| experiments In agriculture and the
/ tests of the fertilizers are published
in the monthly bulletins and distri-
buted TO the farmers free. The chief
idea however, Is to Interest the far
mers personally in the work of the
station and have them assemble at
frequent intervals to see what Is
! being done and thus learn for them
! selves from physical demonstration,
The day Is not very Tar distant
I when Virginia will lead every State
in the Union in agriculture. the soil
| is here and II Is only necessary TO
| cultivate it intelligentiy. and that is
what We are trying to help the far
! mers do"