The Detroit times., 1913-07-10
RAYMOND ". PULLMAN.
Times Washington Bureau. MetTopOIi
tan Bank Building


illiterate Negro, an eX.slave nov more
than 80 years old
To Study Farm farming in central
OF Ex.Slsve. Alabama, the Uni
ted states govern
meut is receiving some OF the most
valuable lessons gained from any
single agricultural experiment in this
country. Nj. \. Crosby, an agriculture
ist In the Office OF farm management
in the department OF agriculture has
Just been sent south TO study the
work of Sam Mccall. the old eX-slave,
who has accomplished wonders in
farming on small tract of waste
land.
Sam Mccall might be called born
scientific farmer. He has won fame
in agriculture by producing the larg-
est yield OF cotton ever recorded in
the United States; In fact. the larg
est yield ever heard of. having raised
one bale OF the great southern pro-
duct on one-eighth OF an acre OF land.
The importance of this achievement
may be understood by the person
who is not an agriculturist when il is
known that the average Weld for the
whole United States Is only two.
ffths OF bale for a single acre. Sam
Mccall has developed method OF
cultivation on once worthless land
which is SO successful that he Think
nothing NOV of producing three and
one-half TO four bales OF cotton per
acre or so bushels OF oats or so bush
els OF corn. rhe average in the south
ern states for corn and oats runs
from l. 10 % bushels an acre
Sam Is farmer who knows his
limitations. When he was declared
free man following the Civil war
he saved up enough money TO pur-
chase land in several parcels. which
soon amounted 10 more than 100
acres. He cultivated 40 acres and
the first year made hardly enough TO
keep himself. He concluded that with
his limited equipment ana in view OF
the fact that he was doing practically
all OF his own work il would be wise
for him 10 reduce the amount OF land
which he was cultivating. He gradu
ally brought his cultivated farm down
70 two acres. and for the last % Years
on this plot has spent all Of his time
and energies in what agricultural eX-
perts claim is one of the most inter
esting examples OF intensive farming
carried on in the United States.
McCall's land is part of an aban.
doned farm. Before he began 10 Cls
tivate II. the soil was perhaps as bad
as any which can be found on any
farm in the southern states The
former slave knew nothing of the
scientific methods of cultivation, but
he was a good observer He noticed
white farmers in his section gather
ing leaves In the fall 10 spread over
their land to form humus in the soil
Sam never heard OF the word humus.
but he concluded the white farmers
knew what they were doing and he
followed suit. He latNr decided 10
use the refuse of all crops as a nat.
ural fertilizer. Al the time he began
TO cultivate his land commercial fer
tilizers were little known. and the
ex-slave has never made use OF them
during his entire career.
Government experts who began a
study OF his farm several years ago
found out that he usually grows three
crops year on his two acres of land
Cotton Is his principal crop. In the
OF cotton In the spring he chops
the cotton stocks and hoes them into
the soil. and then plants corn between
the rows of oats. In the late spring
when the corn is about IS inches high
he harvests the oats by hand, and
then plants cotton in the corn rows
between stalks. The corn is picked
in August. the stalks are cut and
worked into the soil and then oats
are seyed about the time the cotton
crop is ready for its first picking.
Through this method OF cultivation
Sam Mccall has raised larger crops
OF cotton, corn and oats than ans
other farm in his state of Alabama
Prof w. J. Spillman, chief OF the
office of farm management, and his
expert, NJ. A. Crosby, who has been
sent TO the south to observe McCall's
work. say that the reason for the
ex-slave's success in agriculture is
due largely TO the fact that he has
manufactured nitrogen in the soil I'M
knowingly by feeding the soil BAG.
terra with carbohydrates and cellu-
lose coming from the refuse of the
crops. Mccall has also developed
methods OF seed selection in keeping
with scientific farming, and each
year produces certain area of Sc
lected plants which he uses entirely
for seed purposes. Cotton seed have
become an important by-product OF
his agricultural venture. and he OBJ
tains 80 TO 81 per bushel from the
white farmers for selected cotton
seed. The average cost of the ordi-
nary cotton seed is 80 10 35 cents a
bushel so that II can be seen that
the industrious ex-slave is getting al
most 10 times "a much for his so.