The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-08-30
rurI c, & Y. & NJ. v. R. R. co.'s
DEMONSTRATION FARM.

c.,, ] A. Webb, formerly Presi
.l,nt Of the Mississippi Railroad Com
'sissiop, of Jackson, and now Indus
,,i.l a Agent of the Yazoo & Mississippi
Valley Railway and the Illinois Contra
p.ilwsy Companies, with special de
,,Ilment of the farm experiment dem
orstration policy established this yeai
~ these railway companies, spent the
litter part Of last week near Green
~ood inspecting Demonstration Farm
M g located on the outskirts Of this
,i,v and owned by Mr.. W. L. Craig,
oOe Of our wealthiest young planters.
Caut Webb was making a final inspec-
lion up to July 18th preparatory for a
detailed report of the progress made to
date to the meeting held in Memphis,
August 18th, wherein the officials Of
these companies recapitulated the gen
sral results of this new feature policy
If agricultural industrialism, and he
seemed very much delighted with the
orospects of the local experiment sta
tion The twenty acres Of cotton and
ran acres of corn were planted April
10Th and April 25th, respectively, and
mo cost of the cultivation and produc-
tion of the corn from that date to its
nresent condition was s90.50 on the ten
acres and the twenty acres of cotton
costing $25l, so, in which costs are IN
tIuded fertilizer, etc. The methods
aaopted at this farm were simply fire.
quent early fall blowing and narrowing
and splendid preparatory of the soil in
cident to planting, frequent and shallow
rultiyation, with special narrowing con-
tinuously applied during the proper
stages of the life of the stalk,
every inch of it receiving due at
tenton. There is almost double yield
IN prospect over what the same tract
Ofand produced last year, and at a
comparatively lower cost of production.
Last year the deterrent effect Of
worms effected the yield, but this years
Yield will surpass any production ever
realized from tract this size, all
due to the splendid methods so closely
followed. The corn will average over
forty bushels to the acre, says Mr..
Craig, the seed planted being of the
Mosby variety, which always brings
forth from two to four well matured
ears TO the stalk; and the cotton plant
edsone Of the early and prolific Simp-
kins varieties, and will average easily
from onehalf to three fourth of a bale
b.he aee. Mr.. Craig is delighted
with The experiment, which is also
proving of educational profit to the
planters of the county who have visit
ed The farm and made close study of
the methods, and Capt. Webb stated
that this farm, No. 5, was one of the
best of the entire chain of experiment
farms established by the department
this year. The army worm has made
iR appearance in scattered places, but
Mr. Craig stated that he does not think
Il will be of serious effect, but
would help a little, inasmuch as 1t
would relieve the thickness of the stalks
which are very heavily fruited and need
more room to give opportunity for the
full yield in prospect. Lefiore county
and adjacent territory appreciate the
railway companies interest in their
educational work along agricultural
lines, and the persistent work of these
various agencies are causing the insti-
tuton of not only better and more in
tensifed methods of farming, but the
general use of of modern farming ma
thinery which heretofore has been so
conspicuous by its absence.