The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-08-15

4 T is surely an amazing fact that the
corn crop of the states should aV-
On erage year after year only about 81
bushels to the acre. The acreage
planted is increased by millions from
year to year. Vast areas of virgin
territory are constantly being brought
under cultivation. 1t is matter or
record that many farmers raise lou,
200, some as high as 300 bushels to
the acre, yet the average for the en-
tire crop is never increased.
Is it likely that there Is anything
wrong with the government figures!
/ do not think so. There is as much
care given as is possible to insure &C
curacy, and l daresay that many
farmers, even IL they raise more than
80 bushels to the acre, will feel salts
fed that the figures are correct from
his knowledge of what the average
yield Is in his district.
The farms are titled by pretty
good type of farmer, on the whole,
hard working, and fairly intelligent.
The best that we have been able to
produce of the true American, and for
the most part the best of the sturdy
sons of the soil from many foreign
lands. We have national depart
ment of agriculture that has been the
envy and the copy of the world, which
is in a sense, a farmers university,
and the sole aim and purpose OF
which has been and is, to make bet
| ter farmers. For a generation or
more, 1t has striven by study, expert
ment and printers ink lavishly dis,
seminated, to educate the farmer and
bring him to a higher level as an eff
cient tiller of the soil. Through the
work Of Its many professors it has
presumably told the farmer much
about seeds, and soils, and methods
of cultivation, and Of protection from
insect pests, an infinite variety Of de
tails about the vital facts, concerning
his business, yet the result remains
the same, so far as corn is concerned
year after year-thirty bushels to thu
acre.
In almost every state in the Uniol
there is now, and has long been, al
agricultural experiment station, work
ing in cooperation with the federal de
partment of agriculture and hand an
hand with the farmers of the state t
educate him. The stations ar
equipped with professors, and e.
perts, many Of them of the highes
authority in the land, vast tracts ar
under experimental cultivation, the
have been planning, working, testin
soils and seeds, and fertilizers, to al
the farmer In the exercise of econom
and the growing Of better crops. TIL
/ net results of their labors they al
! constantly disseminating by NEAR
of lectures, and correspondence, an
bulletins, free, for all who would ava
Q of such-yet the net result after a
these years Is an average Of 30 bus
/. els to the acre for corn
:. The agriculturale colleges ha'
! gone even further than this. TIT
\ have in many instances not been co
3 tent to work and lecture and pri
the results of their iabors for Il
benefit Of progressive farmers, tn
have been militant in their wol
% have instituted campaigns of educ
aS ton by sending out some of the pl
: fessors on special trains, right in t
= heart of farming districts, and givi
, the farmer heart-to-heart talks, a
G object lessons in better farmi
a methods; telling him about sol
- methods of cultivation, seed sci
Z ton, inviting them freely to a
2 questions, to the end that he may
- come more enthusiastic worker d
: raise better crops. Although this b
: been going on for years and beyo
question many have prof1ted by
q. yet the average yield for corn
e past year was Just the same
bushels.