The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-04-11

the demands of the rural schools
submit for your consideration the wis.
dom OF providing for one additional
inspector for the rural schools.
Bonds for Special Tax School Dis.
tricts.
AT the general election held in No
vember, 1912, the electors of Florida
adopted the following amendment to
the state constitution, which had
been submitted by the last legisla-
ture:
The legislature may provide for
special tax school districts, to issue
bonds for the exclusive use of public
free schools within any such special
tax school district, whenever ma
Jority OF the qualified electors thereof.
VINO are freeholders, shall vote in IA
vor OF the issuance of such bonds.
Sale State School Lands on Install
ments.
/ "A good law would be one to author
lie the state board of education TO
sell state school lands on reasonable
installments.
This would frequently result in the
state getting a better price, would
encourage settlers and often aid a
poor man to purchase who would 9TH
erwise be unable to pay all cash for
the land he desires.
County Agricultural and HorticuItur-
al Agents.
The demonstration work which has
been carried on by the state univer-
sity and the Federal government has
made apparent the value to our far
mers and fruit growers of agricul-
tural, horticultural and stock breed
ing demonstrations. There is room
for enlargement of this very beneficial
work. The fact that the work of the
agricultural experiment station is
more or less limited by lack of funds
and the large territory to cover sug-
gests the value of a demonStrator
in the counties who would be skilled
in proper methods of farming and
fruit growing, selection of seed and
plants, breeding of live stock, exter-
mination of pests, judging the value
and proportions of fertilizers, treat
ment of the soils and the disease of
trees and plants.
Farmers Institutes.
Every one familiar with the splen-
did results accomplished through the
holding of farmers institutes fully
realizes that it is wise to encourage
and aid this most beneficial work.
The scope of the farmers Institutes
can and should be so extended as to
bring short but very useful course
in agricultural and horticultural
education to the doors of our farmers
and fruit growers. This can be done,
too, without any great expense, by
arranging written courses of study
and having them circulated among
the farmers and all others inter
ested some little time before the in
stitute is to be held. 1t would seem
to be very simple and feasible plan
for the directors of the institutes
to give notice through the press and
every other available means to all |
the people of Florida who may be
interested, that the advance written
courses of instruction can be OBJ
tanned by application to the director,
and that at a stated time farmers
institute will be held in a designated |
town.
Agricultural Prizes for Boys and
Girls.
Any policy which tends to encour-
age and increase agricultural activi
ties is of unquestionable value to
our state. Florida has an unlimited |
amount of rich and productive land
and it has untold possibilities for
agricultural expansion. Every rea-
sonable efferot should be made to pro-
mote our farming interests. The
ambitious boys and girls of the state
will readily respond to the encourag-
ement which might be offered to
them by contests in growing the
crops to which the soils of their re-
Spective sections are adapted.
| suggest the wisdom of legislation
being enacted which would authorize
the county commissioners of the va
rious counties to offer prizes for such
contests. In some few communities
in the state contests of this kind
have been inaugurated with splendid
results.
State Aid to Stamp Out Pest.
The people generally of the state
are interested in having stamped out
and preventing rhe pr,ad of any dis
ease or insect which threatens any of
our agricultural or horticultural inter-
ests to such an extent as to become
a public menace. The state should do
all possible to prevent such injuries to
our farm, fruit and grove industries,
and for the purpose of aiding in this
behalf would recommend an appro-
priation of $3,0D000 annually or so
much thereof as necessary to be used
for this purpose by and under the
direction of the Experimental Sta
ton at Gainesville for this pur-
pose.
Farmers Demonstration Work.
Under cooperation between the U.
S. department of agriculture and
the college of agriculture of the state
university at Gainesville, some most
excellent results have been accom-
plished in the farmers demonstra-
ton work. A great deal of infor-
nation valuable to the farmer has
been disseminated and marked in
terest has been stimulated in the
boys and girls club work. Under
proper instruction the boys enlisted
in the corn clubs, have been break
ing the record in corn production in
Florida, and the girls clubs have
been the means of making known