The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1913-04-25
OUR AGRICULTURE
BY ROLAND TURNER.


Roland Turner, Assistant Manager o
the Department Of Farm Improvement
Work of the Southern Railway and Mo
bile & Ohio Railroad, speaking Of bis
Department, said:
The Department Of Farm Improve
ment Work is an extension of the Cot.
ton Culture Department, which was in
augurated in the fall of 1910, to give
instructions to farmers in combating
the cotton boil weevil After two years
OF successful operation, the work has
been broadened by having it extended
into nine States traversed by the South
ern Railway and Associated Companies.
With Mr.. T. o. Plunkett as manager,
headquarters were moved from Chatta-
nooga, Tenn, to Atlanta, Ga, from
where the work is directed.
Our agents are being kept busy vis-
iting farms and offering suggestions to
farmers who are anxious to make the
very best crops that are possible. Peo-
pie are beginning to realize that the
methods usually understood to be, and
referred to as Government Methods"
are OF value to them when they will fol-
low them out closely; and that farming,
conducted upon lines proven to be right
by the Governments Experiment Sta
tions, is good and paying business.
When we first organized the work, and
established agencies along the lines OF
the railroads represented in the Depart
ment, many people did notquite under
stand the purpose of this Department;
but as fast as. they were apprised Of its
purposes, and understood that the rail-
roads were interested in the development
of agriculture for the reason that it
meant generally increased prosperity in
the communities which they served as
carriers, the cooperation our agents re-
ceived was all that could be asked for.
Too, there were people who thought,
for time, that the railroads had new
and different methods from those gen
orally understood to be Government
Methods" which was an error. The
methods our agents advocate are the
same as those OF the Government, and
are simply the facts that have been
found out, and proven to be valuable,
by experiment stations and Government
experts who have made life study OF
soils, crops, etc. The agents Of the De-
partmeat of Farm Improvement Work
are farmers OF experience and who have,
by practical operations, been able to
apply the science OF agri-
culture, as it has been evolved by the
United States Department OF Agricul-
ture, State Agricultural Commissioners
and State Agricultural Colleges through |
heir many methods Of experiment and
scientific research.
"On account OF the ravages of the
,otton boil weeyil, and the efforts Of our
agents have put forth to assist in fore
yoing the damage and loss to farmers
,aused by this pest in some commune
les, the idea has probably prevailed to
ome extent that our agents were only
Interested in, and were offering sug-
testions only for the production Of cot
on. This is not true, but very prob
bly, the idea was conceived by some,
BECAUSE Of the intense interest in means
0 save the cotton crop from loss ac-
cunt the weevil, and the special at
ention given this crop by agents Of our {
department.. Agents of this Depart
nent are prepared to offer suggestions {
Dr. the production OF all field crops, and {
Dr. the improvement of soils by proper /
andling, and in some instances our I
gents have been able to save to farmers (
ne cost OF civil engineers in the laying |
tile drainage, making terraces, etc. t
The Department Of Farm Improve t
lent Work is upon broad basis, and /
) agents are offering suggestions to Ir
lrmers that will be helpful in realizing o
,e highest success and profits in farm
IL. The objects the railroads have in
lew cannot be realized except with a
gard for the economic questions that !
iccessful farming involves; OF making \
le farm self-sustaining, and Of sys- p
matic marketing ofall produce. Farms o
lnnot reach the highest success as .
Ioney making institutions so long as 81
icy buy supplies that could be produced s.
pom the farm at "a higher price than e
le cost to produce upon the farm. c
armers who buy corn, hay and other Il
cd stuffs for their animals and food Il
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