Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-07-11
LOCAL MAN ON FARMING.
e. 4. kimbnll Gives Interview to New
Jersey Paper on Scientific Farming.

The following interview appeared re-
Gently in the Westfleld Leader, published
at Westheld. y. j.. and will be of much
interest to many readers of the FREQ
Press as concerning a resident Of this city
who but recently has gone to New Jersey
to live
y recent visit. ny a Leader representa-
tive. to the attractive 30-acre farm on the
Springfield road. carried on by r. T.
Eastman and G. A. Kimball, found the
farm manager, Mr. Kimhall, out among
the strawberry plants stirring what look
Cd Ike coarse salt into a barre. of water
In answer to an inquiry as to the nature
of tho preparation, Mr., Kmball said
This Is a form Of diluted nitrate Of
soda. "A sort of quick lunch for plants
1t Is not so much a food. though, MS a
tonic which stimulates the vitality of the
plants and enables them to aesimilate the
elements of nutrition In the soil. Plants;
require the same care and discrimina-
ton. In feeding. as animals do. Any
farmer Of ordinary intelligence would
know better than to give his cows whole
oats as their principal feed. neither would
he feed his horses clear corn meal, beet
pulp and pumpkins for balanced ration,
and Yet, some farmers will use one kind
of plant food for corn, potatoes grain
fruit and berries. It is better. however
to use most anything than to rob the soil
by using no fertilizer at all Bank rob-
hers and chicken thieves are brough. be-
fore the courts and branded as criminals
while land robbers go free. 1t might be
claimed that man has a right to rob
himself, that Is, his own land. but this
impovcrishing the soil. which Is 50 COM
mon, is crime against nature II not
against man; and this American habit, or
tendency to cultivate moro land than one
can make thoroughly productive - a
waSteful method Of farming If intensive
farming, with more specializing In food
products. as carried on in France and
Germany, were practiced in this country
IT would largely increase the land and
crop valuation. farm Of one hundred
acres which may barely support one small
family might. If divided into ten tracts
ana titled by the European intensive
method. support ten families of Roose-
Veltian proportions with all the comforts
ana 81 few luxuries thrown in. That much
read and discussed book Ten Acres
Enough" is not pipe dream but logical
and commonsense reasoning"
II understand" said the Leader man.
that YOU grow Strawberries of extra
fine quality. May ! ask IL the quality OF
berry depends most on the variety or on
the method of cultivation?"
Il should say. both. about equally" re-
piled Mr., Kmbal. lone should. of
course have a good variety ana think
n h.t %
grown. the Crescent and Splendid. The
Splendid is we'll named for II has all the
good qualities of "A perfect table berry
nrfn' juicy, sweet and almost entirely
free from that pithy substance so COM
mon IN some varieties. The Crescent is
smaller but IL "A good table berry and cs-
pecially good for canning The Splendid
Is grown largely In the far West but I
have not seen It listed In any paper or
catalogue in the East. and we claim the
distinction of being the only growers Of
this superlatively luscious berry in New
Jersey
'But any berry may be improved by
careful attention to details Plants like
animals, need a balanced ration to get
the best results. The trawberry Is re-
Inarkable for Its propagating qualities
An acre of newly set plants contains from
elght to ten thousand, which. II allowed
10 form matted rows. may produce as
many as two hundred thousand plants SO
thht the plant growth alone Is "A great
Grain on the soil. To get from an acre Of
these plants two hundred bushels of fruit
means tremendous plant energy and a
further cXhausting drain on the food
supply. HhoS phOric acid not,sh and rito
gen must be supplied literally in the right
proportion. Slow acting fertilizers may
be applied for plant growth but ouick
ac'lhg ones should be used before and
during the fruit'ng period. Among the
latter may be mentioned wood ashes as
the potash they contain increases the
saccharine matter and produces a sweet
er berry than when potash Ia lacking. Nj
troEen In the form of nitrate OF soda
as ! am now applying it dissolved in
water Is also quickly available"
do you think IT is more profitable 10
specialize than to engage In general or
diversified farming?' MIR. Kimball was
asked
Yes, as rule, because one can devote
more time to few crops and produce a
larger Yield and better product that will
ma ready market Eliminating the
financial eide, It gives one. | think, more
satisfaction to produce a perfect berry.
fruit or vegetable of one kind than many
kinds of an Inferior qualify. one should
study the conditions of soil and clirnate
and then decide what Is best adapted 10
those conditions. On our place here we
ind berries and uaoxt vegetable do well.