Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-09-25
Arcadia Demonstration Farm.
prom the 81. louis Republie.l

From the ST. Louis Republic.l
Father John F. Adrain of Arcadia
College, working in corporation with
@. o. Carpenter, Assistant Commission
er of Agriculture for the Missouri Pa
cific Iron Mountain Railroad, is bring
an experimental farm on the college
grounds adjoining the Iron Mountain
tracks at Arcadia, Mo.
The tract covers approximately six
teen acres. 1t is average Ozark land
and the crops produced have been
handled under drouth conditions as
bad as any in the history of the State.
There has been no attempt to raise
anything but crops commonly grown
in the Ozark region. Outside of faith
full cultivation, reasonable ARE in
selecting seeds and intelligence in
planting, no extraordinary means
have been used.
"Father John" as he is known by
the people throughout the Arcadia
Valley, gave the farm his personal
oversight and aided in the planting,
c~ultivating and harvesting. He was
assisted by two sisters of the Ursuline
Order and two young men. A team
was used in breaking, blowing and
narrowing, and one horse was used
for cultivating between the rows.
Besides planting and harvesting the
crops, this little force cleared up about
81 acres of woodland, blowing out
stumps with dynamite.
On this tract were planted 200 pear
trees and 300 apple trees. They plant
ed three 100-footrows of blackberries,
the same number of gooseberries,
dewberries, raspberies and one-half
an acre of grapes, stretching wire on
all posts so the vines would have sup
port.
These crops were grown in spite of
the drouth only by first properly pre-
pairing the ground and by faithful cul-
tivating, maintained throughout the
entire season.
The corn, which it was estimated
would yield from forty-five to fifty
bushels to the acre, was left on the
stalk and this and milo maize and
sorghum we're mixed and cut for en-
silage. The drouth was worse on the
oats than anything else.
Speaking of the success of the farm
Father Adrain said:
The results we obtained show abso-
lutely that the soil of the Ozark region,
by proper handling and faithful work,
can be made to produce crops above
the average Missouri crops of the
ordinary year, even in the worst
drouth conditions.
The seed for this experimental farm,
two carloads of manure shipped from
st. Louis and a small quantity of bone
meal, YER furnished by the Missouri
Pacific Iron Mountain Railway
through it's agricultural department.
This farm is one of six located this
year along the line of the Iron Noun
tain Railway in Missouri, Arkansas,
Texas and Louisiana.
We hope to increase our yield next
year by 100 per cent, providing we
have a reasonable amount of rain.
1t is Father Wernert's ambition as
well as mine, following Archbishop
Glennon's ideas, to give the young
people as much vocational education
as we can under all circumstances,
thus aidingto fit them for a life of
practical, useful productiveness. The
study of plant life, I believe, is the
greatest of secular studies, and every
child should have at least the rudi-
ments of an agricultural education. A
general knowledge of the soil and the
care and seeding of plants will not
only aid in character building and in
crease interest in producing things to
eat, but will create a better concep-
ton of Gods infinite economy and a
greater respect for life and religion.
In additional to the experimental
farm at Arcadia, Father Adrian aided
Father Wernert in the construction
of a large wing being built for the
Arcadia College at a cost of sac, 900.
This building, being constructed of
brick and stone, will add much to the
physical beauty of the Arcadia Valley.
1t will be modern throughout, with
light, heat and water systems, and in
~creases the college capacity to $50 pu-
pills. Besides he has attended to the
wants of his parishioners in five sur
rounding towns, in all sorts of wealth
er, by day and night.
No movement for the physical bet
terment of the Arcadia Valley and
vicinity has been launched without the
hearty support of Father Wernert and
Father Adrian.
Their handiwork is visible on the
roads and bridges, on the cleared hills
and fields, in good buildings, in the
local commercial and farmers clubs
in all movements for better farm
methods, the introduction of better
paying industries and crops, in every
progressive avenue suggested, with
out regard to religion or politics.