The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-09-13
EXPERIMENTAL FARM OFFERED,
DEMONSTRATION WORK IN
BARNWELL BY CLARENCE
j. OWENS.
Commissioner Watson to COoperate
With Director of Southern Com
mcrcial Congress.


gress, is to establish a demonstration
farm on his farm of $50 acres in
Barnwell county, according to a letter
received at the State department Of
agriculture yesterday. Commissioner
Watson has promised the cooperation
of the State department Of agriculture.
Announcement that the farm is to
be established was contained in the
following letter from Mr.. Owens:
There are certain plans that l have
been developing that l now desire to
call to your attention, and I hope to
have your sympathetic interest.
I'm Barnwell county, s. c., one mile
from Dunbarton, on the Atlantic Coast
Line railroad, 1 own $50 acres Of
land. / determined several months
ago to convert this land into a DEM
onstration farm and manage it along
the lines as the State experiment sta
ton at Abbeville, Ala, that l had in
charge for five years. l have arranged
to have the superintendent Of the Ala
bama State experiment station move
70 South Carolina for the coming year
and take charge Of this farm. He is
a man who has spent his life in this
work and until the farm is thoroughly
established he will not only give his
expert direction to it, but will actual
ly labor on the property.
For five years I was the president
the Southeast Alabama Agricultural
school and directed the station re-
ferred to above. have further been
in touch with agricultural activities,
first, as the managing director Of the
Southern Commercial congress, the
position that / now hold, and further
l assembled through my Office the
American commission for the study of
agricultural finance, distribution, pro-
ductiOn and the organization of rural
life that went to Europe April 26 and
studied for 80 days in IA European
countries. am now actively in charge
Of the headquarters Of the permanent
American commission as director gen.
eral Of the organization. / am send
ing to you under separate cover cer-
tain documents bearing upon this
work. u
II desire to launch this work along
lines to make it most effective, and
am. therefore, writing to you to know
to what extent I may count upon the
actual and practical cooperation of
your office. 1t would be my purpose
to have reports accurately kept and
reports made to you on seed and fer
tilizer tests, rotation experiments, etc.
and will have the data in such shape
that it may be issued in bulletin form.
1t would be my purpose during the
coming year to visit this farm at least
once a month and give it to this ex-
tent my personal supervision. I shall
await your reply with deepest in
terest."
Cooperation of the department was
promised in the following letter:
II beg to acknowledge tine receipt
OF yours Of September 4. 1 note with
qualification the announcement Of
your purpose to establish your demon.
stration farm on your property in
Barnwell county in this State. This
patriotic action on your part. I am
sure will be greatly appreciated by
the people residing in that particular
section Of the State. I love to see a
man, though he may be called else
where in the pursuit Of business activ-
tiles, remember his native State and
the welfare Of her people.
II feel sure that the establishment
of this farm upon the lines indicated
in your letter, under the actual super
intendency Of the experienced man
whom you are to place in charge, will
result in untold benefit to the agricul-
tural people of the section Of our
State in which it will be located.
4 wish to say. as the head Of the
department of agriculture in South
Carolina, you may rest assured Of the
fullest cooperation in this undertaking
that it is possible for me to give under
the law. 1 shall be more than anxious
to do everything in my power to make
the station a successful undertaking
and to make the lesson that it will
teach Of far-reaching effect upon the
people whose interest it is designed to
serve.
Il would like to hear from you at
your earliest convenience as to the
further details Of your plan and par
ticularly as to what your ideas are
in regard to the cooperation you de-
sire from this office. AS l have said.