The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1913-07-16
The Farmers
of Virginia.

~ ~ ~
sides at Emory, aud who has
trav ed extensively over
Southwest Virginia, writes the
Richmond Times-Dispatch as
follows:
You may be interested in
knowing something of the pro
gress of agricultural life and
education among the farmers
OF the far Southwest. Ii has
been II pleasure to me for sever
al years TO be among the people
of several counties in the inter
est of improved methods Of
farming and the bettermeut of
country | t {. The observer
who says there is not an awak
ening of the rural population
here does not know whereof he
speaks | have found their at.
titude so good and their re-
Spouse 80 ready that it has been
impossible TO answer all the in
Yitation for visits and confer
ences received, or to touch moro
than half the influences that
have called for help. There is
not a week that does not bring
some inquiry for n farmers or
teachers meeting that win help
to extend the educational move
ment that has been Inaugural
| ted.
The farmers are not organic
ed for uniform progressive
work but there are strongwilled
open minded. level headed in
dividuals in every community
who are applying the same
thorough study, precise man
agement and pninstaking care
10 their business as does the
railroad company or mercan-
tile house in commercial city
They blush when Won refer to
them as scientific farmers, and
are pleased to know that they
have become very important
members of the community. At
any community meeting You
find them IN the front seats
listening aud talking in an in
formal way, and learning as
they have learned before that
there is still moru to be learned
In one case it Is an old man
who has been reading, in an
other n travelling or business
man who has learned the value
of good business aud seen other
/ places,in another an industrious
sort of fellow with good taste
who has picked It up himself
In every case one finds an at
tractive home occupied by in
teresting people 1t il no sur
prise to find a number OF farm
papers, magazine or two, il
daily newspaper, aud an iudis
pensable county weekly on the
family reading table.
There are few families that
cannot tell you about the high
yields of corn, corn club boys
are making, and about the dan
gers OF germ diseases that 80
mysteriously lay havoc with
their lives It is not uncom-
mon to see rams and motor
wheels ut the springs along the
road and windmills and engines
at the wells on the hills. And
am never surprised to find a
complete water and light plant
in any rather new looking
house on any we'll Kept farm
In road construction the most
sanguine expectations have
been surpassed. Some mis-
takes have been made and some
lomissiOn for maintenance al
lowed, but that only stimulates
provisions for another effort.
In spite of any irregularities
that have come in local using
a n constructing road beds
every neighborhood that has an
improved road is proud of it.
Those who can't have macad-
am roads will soon get inter
eatcd enough TO make good dirt
ones, and such implements as
King drags, may yet be seen in
common use.
More people SOW crimson
clover and cowpeas than would
be expected in this mountain
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