East Mississippi times. (Starkville, Miss.) 19??-1926, 1912-08-09
The Southern Railway Promotes Agri
culture.

Finley of the Southern Railway
Company, announced today thai
the management of that Company,
realizing the great opportunity fol
increasing the prosperity of the
territory traversed by it's lines
through building up soil product
lvlty and increasing the average
crop yield per acre, had decided to
organize a Department of Farm
Improvement Work to begin oper-
ations on September lst, This
Department will work on the CO.
operative demonstration plan, first
adopted by the late DR.. S. A.
Knapp, of the United States Agri-
cultural Department, 1t will aim
to show to the farmers what they
can do on their own lands and with
their own resources. This plan
has been followed with marked sue
cess by the Southern Railway Cot
ton Culture Department in the ter
ritOry along the line of the advance
of the Mexican cotton boil weevil.
1t is now proposed to extend the
work over the system generally and
to adapt it to the peculiar eopdir
tions of each locality.
The Cotton Culture Department
is to be merged into the Depart
ment of Farm Improvement Work,
and Mr.. r. o, plunkett who has
Ebeen General Agent Of the Cotton
Culture Department, is 70 be at the
head Of the new organization with
the title of Manager of Farm Im-
provoment Work. His office will
be in Atlanta, Ga, and three AS.
sistant Managers of Farm Improve
ment Work will be appointed to be
located at advantageous points. A
force of field agents will be appoint
ed to visit farmers III their reSpec-
tive localities AID cooperate With
them for the demonstration of those
methods of culture and soil treat
ment which may be expected to
produce the best results in the way
of increased crop yields. This
work will be carried on in cooper
alton with the State Commissioners
of Agriculture, the State Agricul-
tural Department. 1t will be en-,
tirely free of cost to farmers wish
ing to avail themselves of it in the
territory traversed by the lines OF
the Southern Railway; Alabama
Great Southern Railroad; Cincin-
natti, New Orleans & Texas Pacific
Railway; Georgia Southern & Flor
ida Railway; Mobile & Ohio Rail.
road Northern Alabama Railway !;
Southern Railway in Mississippi,
and Virginia & Southwestern Rail
way,
The work of the Department of
Farm Improvement Work is to be
entirely separate from that of the
Southern hallway Land and Indus
trial Department which will, as
heretofore, carry on its cooperative
work for the location OF industries
and farm settlers and for the gen.
eral development OF the territory
trayersed by the lines of the
Southern Railway System.
Speaking of the Department of
Farm improvement Work, Presi-
dent Finley said'
Its purpose is to be broadly
helpful to the farmers in the terri
tory traversed by our lines. | can
conceive nothing that would be
more beneficial to the Southeastern
States than substantial increase
in the average yield of farm crops
such as it is the aim of the Depart.
ment of Farm Improvement Worl,
to endeavor to bring about. The
increased prosperity Of the farmer.
would be reflected in all lines o.
business. ! believe, therefore, tina
all those interested in the develop
ment of our section who are in
position to aid in this movemen,
can very properly do SO. The Stat,