The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-12

FOR the most optimistic man among us
TO have forscen what twenty-four
years have developed. At that time.
The older colleges of the State and the
university seemed to be Jealous OF u.s.
and feared that we would be dupli-
eating their work, and attracting stu
dents because of extra cheapness.
But the North Carolina College has
stuck to its work and has been purely
technical institution Twenty-four
years ago 1T was hard to Induce the
farmers to send their sons there to
study agriculture. They had then no
conception what agricultural education
meant, and thought that n boy could
learn farming behind n mule, and fail
ed TO realize that agriculture is an
art profession that places it among
the most learned OF professions. But
these things have changed The
farmers institutes, the farm papers
and the demonstration work have ali
of them been stirring up the farmers.
and for n number OF years past there
has been an annual convention OF
farmers at the Agricultural and Me-
chancal College. AT first about seven
ty-five to 100 would come and when
these went home others got interest
ed. and every year the assemblage has
grown larger ana inc interest GTeulcI.
have just come from tho convcn
tion, which was held in the week end
ing August 80. More than 500 enthu
siastic farmers were there, and not
only the speeches received attention,
but the work on the college farm and
the various demonstrations OF stock
judging, etc, attracted all OF tho at
PENDANTS / talked Il few minutes to
the great assemblage on Wednesday
irhf nd my nj
farmer friends there with great cor
diality, and more fattering things said
than 1 probably merited. One thing
that surprised me was the many r'ho
said that they are reading what I
write in The Times Dispatch for /
had not realized how the paper has
spread among the North Carolina
farmers and business men. This makes
me all the more certain that l can
reach many farmers in North Carolina
us we'll as in Virginia through these
columns. And ii was rather pleasant
TO have men say that they considered
these columns paid them for the price
OF the paper. Farm topics in n daily
paper, in which one trys to tell what
the farmer-readers want to know is
n new feature in \ daily paper, and
doubtless we will have imitators else
where.
want TO take this opportunity to
thank the farmer readers OF this paper,
both In Virginia and elsewhere, for the
interest they are taking in the work,
and the way they are sending in their
letters Many questions come to me
which concern only the writer, and
these 1 will reply TO by mail II a
stamped and addressed envelope is en-
closed, for l want the matter in the
paper TO interest farmers and garden
crs everywhere, and have letters from
ri ~ 81 ha,- In 40
North who have seen the paper. write
FOR information about Virginia and
Virginia lands.
was certain in the beginning that
If this feature of The Times ispatch
grew In interest 1t would show that
the farmers want 1t, and the fact that
st is growing in interest to them shows
that the innovation IS going TO prove
n success. SO much for the side of
away few days the letters have been
accommodating and I will give every
one attention as fast as possible. but
have TO keep ahead of the printer
and II Is never possible, as some ask
10 get a reply in the next days issue
IT Will usually be nearer week.
Red Leaf Blight of Cotton.
II am sending you q leaf OF cotton
md would like to know what disease
has attacked II. The leaves turn in
this way and the plant dies" There
is no fungus disease on the cotton. but
the red leaf blight is the result OF poor
nutrition. a lack OF plant food in the
soil. This same appearance, which
many call red rust, is caused by the red
mite or spider in droughty weather
I'ut your trouble comes from lack of
Liant food for the crop. When 1t first
appears il can be checked by applying
nitrate OF soda along the rows. If YOU
always have a winter cover of crimson
clover to turn for the cotton, and use
phosphate literally. YOU will never be
troubled with the red leaf bright.
Cotton Anthrncnose.
"I am sending you some cotton plants
on which many bolls are damaged by
some disease. What is it?' 1t is an
thracnose, and 1t is carried by seed
from a diseased field. The only thing
is to avoid seed from an infested field
why the CnntnIoupes Fniled.
Sussex County: Il had a small piece
OF moist land planted in Emerald Gem
canta!oupcs, which grew we'll and had
"a quantity of beautiful melons on the
vines. noticed a gray insect that
covered the under side of the leaves.
and they turned yellow and withcrcd
sowed plaster on the vines. and all
OF them seemed parched UP In a few
days. Did the plaster kill them?
The melons were not sweet at all. but
tasted almost like cucunbers What
does the soil need TO make sweet
melons," After giving my corrcspon-
dent personal reply ! have examined
what he says more closely. The main
cause OF the lack Of sweetness was
tile soil in which they were planted
YOU say they were in a piece Of moist
land. suppose this means bottom
land and on most low land no canta-
lcupcs will ever he sweet. though in
other lands the lack of sweetness may
be inherent TO the variety. for have
always found In our climate that the
big Montreal Market melon that has
a great reputation in Canada always
falls 10 grow sweet, though it grows
AZ large a.s in Canada. But the main
fault Is apt 10 be in the soil. Where
live, the cantaloupe crop Is very
large interest. and in my county OF
WIcoinico. Md, there were this sea-
son probably 1000 acres in cantal oupes