The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-20

Added to this IL the vainc OF the
work as a bats for experimentation
By scientific investigators. This value
will grow ~ time goes by and az
the work 10 used By specialists Ia
farm management, crop selection.
seed selection, and In plant breeding.
While charting the coils the faborH-
tories In Washington have studied the
organic soil constituents and identi-
fed substances derived from organic
matter that are harmful or beneficial.
making discoveries that have broad
encd existing theories of sail fertility
ard pointed to better practices In
management.
Investigations of the fertilizers OF
the country show that we have am
pie resources Of phosphate IN the
Sonth and in the vast deposits IN
Utah. Wyoming, and Idaho: OF nj
t,ate as by-products Of the coke In
dustry: and of potash In the beds of
kelp of the Pacific coast. So interest
ing Is the iden recently advanced ny
the department of producing potash
as an annual crop from keip that q
report on the work has just been
transmitted to Congress by the Pres
ident.
Noxious Insects.
Whenever insects attack the crops
the d,smayed agriculturist need not
despair An appeal to Secretary VII
son win bring practical advice II the
pest liz known, and If 1t Is new an
expert scientist starts hot-foot for the
scene. Careful microscopic study FOL
, lows. fumigation and spraying are
tried. and II these fail. off to foreign
lands goes our scientist where. per-
llaps, In an out-of-the-way corner ne
finds a parasite that will prey upon
a -
less numbers. No insect WAC ever
studied more closely than has been
the boil waevil by the department
and the system upon which the grow
ers III infested States are now sue
, rcet;iug in raising cotton In spite Si
the weeAril ia based upon these STUDIES.
To fight the devonrtng Inoths OF Ne"
England the department has import
| I'd nearly 900. 600 shipments OF para
sites which have held the pests IN
check and promise eventually to de
stroy them. Insects cause as much
da mage to the forest az do fires, and
In five years the department. mas
demonstrated that this damage can
, he prevented at a cost whicn comes
well within the range OF proh,ap =, !.
business management. II has fought
successfully the thrips which threat :
eued the pear, peach, and otper .fuI.s
on the Pacific coast; ste ndardized ano
cheapened the processes OF Iuihisa.
ton against scale insects' rouu y,
crane root worm and the insects tna'
damage cranberries: found satislac.
tory sprays against the white NY o'
The orange: devised measures for' ths
control o. the tick which TRANSMITS
s,,otted fever: and above all mas oe,
yixed and urged. with iteration ano
emphasis. practical methods TO hsh'
the deadly mosquito and the more
deadly house fly. NJ
,.,iet but effective feature Of the
6sn.rtment's work Is the study OF
Wild animals and birds in their rela'
lion to farming. AT a small cost f"i
this work the department. has sue
ceaded in holding In check the horoe
| of destructive rodents which annuau.
| destroy crops worth millions. nu
| rot only are rats and ground squiei
| obstructive. they are also intects'
| xri,h plague and transmit this diseass
| ~ man. consequently their extermi
nation IL imperative, and the depart
ment is bending It's energies to thl'
| end. A few years ago an army o
field mice invaded the valleys OF Ne
vada and in short time ate up ANAL
and produce worth 100000, nd pfo
| Seeded merrily onward upon It's de
! structiyc way until one OF the depart
| ment's scientists. sent 10 the scene
| perfected a method OF poisoning tn
!, little pests with hay and strychntne
Fur Better Farm Homes.
Secretary Wilson has always rec
! osnized the influence for good farm
| lag which flows from az attractive
| farr, home. and has developed
! branch OF the department which
| through It's correspondence and III
| PUBLICATIONS has become a bureau
! Information on household topics. bul
! letins on subjects relating to food aut
/, home making have been prepared
which have had a circulation OF NOR
/, than 100000 copies. One OF these
| The economic Use Of Meat In thu
! Home, reached an edition OF nall
| lion and half copies. At the SANE
! time this branch Of the department
| mas given special attention TO agri
| ,ul.,;ral education, assisting States
| t. pian and organize schools. to &c
! cure teachers, and to prepare course
| Tho Tfuvelcd Highway.
| What shall II profit 10 raise graa
| cropg II BY reason of bad roads tn
| cost Of hauling them from the farm
| to railway or to mart he prohibitiv'
| To help the Agicuiturist solve TIL
| n.obl.sn the dep1f tment conducts
| propa9anda OF the most advances
/ character in favor OF road improve
'ment In terest1 OF local road authors
! .ies and co-operates with them u
| building object Lesson roads to ehov
| the proper methods ~ construction
| In Ave years the departments roat
! engineers has taus tuilt as Of th=s'
! object lesson roads: II. all. about so'
miles OF road IL feet wide. BY
/ r.ars advice the department has Il
/ Ina, time aided IN the Formulate o
I more than $50 model country roat
/ sxsteme. resulting n. most instance
/ in benencial reforms. i has also a.
I sisted - States In eHecttuG eQtitabi
/. statc-aid plans. At the same time !
/ has established laboratories for test
/ tng materials. because II was fOun'
/ that many counties have sbundan
| supplies OF fine material and DO no
fknow II. While At work upon THU
| subject the scientists discovered AM
/ developed an oll-cement concrete
waterproof under low pressure an
! nearly AZ strong ~ plain cement con
| crete. The partment patented thu
/ process for the sole behoof Of tn
| American poople.
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| SENTENCED 10 JAIL ESlR
VIOLATING LIQUOR LAW
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