The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-12

1AS} My intimate ac-
., a., quaintancc W I h
"aSse'' the agricultural
advancement In North Carolina has
SHOWN that the old North State is
forging ahead OF Virginia in many
ways in improved farming. North
Carolina has q College OF Agriculture
ana Mechanic Arts which In the com.
parativciy few years OF It's existence,
mas pushed into the front ranks of
these institutions. and has been a
powerful force I'm the new life that has
come into the farming OF that State
There liz no reason why the olde,
college in Virginia should not push
INTO the front rank. ana we have
great hopes that the ncw president
Viii put the Virginia Polytechnic In
atitu'c into the Influential position /,
should occupy. and in the work I pro-
pose mere. | shall try To hold up his
hands and do something TO attract
the farmers OF the state to their col
lege.
But what wish mainly to make
these daily columns Is Il medium u
communication with the farmers of
virginia and North Carolina, too.
may write wisely or otherwise ana
never tell what farmers here und
there are wanting TO know have
found in all my work in agricultural
journalism that the best thing "a paper
can do for It's farmer readers liz 10
try TO help them solve every problem
that OCCURS to them in their work
livery thoughtful man cultivnting the
soil meets with difficulties that he can
not at once overcome. do not know
II all by a great deal. bu, have
had many years experience in the
cultivation OF the SOIL and may know
hat
those who lind difficulties
To accomplish good IN this line.
want 10 hear from the farmers who
read these columns. I VIII condense
their queries and answers such az NAV
be of general interest in these col
uinns. and where question concerns
solely the inquirer. will reply by
mail. provided a self-addressed stauiu-
ed envelope is Enclosed. J will use no
ones name or address in the paper.
but must have the name and address
Of the writer
In this way hope TO make these
columns Interesting TO our readers by
putting In them what farmers are
wanting to know, for In this way. bet
ter than any know OF. we can make
the columns interesting to tho men
on :hc farms
Then too. every man who is :. stu
dent of his profession meets with ideas
ia the cultivation or The soil tina, may
%" .! value TO others. Short cuts
which have been found useful in saw
ms labor on the farm. the voiu. OF
now and improved implements
methods o! saving in The fesdlnu %
stock. the construction OF silos. ana
handling the crop for the SLID. The
treatment Of orchards. and methods
of marketing the product, and, in fact.
everything that comes in the cNper-
icnco of practical and observant men
viii be gladly received and male use
OF FOR helping others
In short, we want TO do all that We
can to wake up Virginia farmers to
the great capacties Of their state
Rave farmed Virginia lands from the
mountains 70 the sea and think that
! know something IN regard 10 their
proper treatment and Improvement
and / want in these columns TO get
lose to the men who are living close
TO the soil Let us then make these
TWO columns daily means OF com
pairing notes. In my boyhood. there
were great farmers In Virginia. men
Ike Edmund Ruifin and others: but
somehow. we have Jagged behind the
procession. OLD farms that were form
crly very productive. have been ne
elected, and whole neighborhoods have
run back. and the young men who
should now be making these farms all
that they were and should he. have
drifted of TO the cities
While do not moan to preach
general back-to-th land sermon ! DO
want 10 see the young men who should
stay on the farms and help 10 huild
up Virginia. but have wandered off TO
the cities getting back TO their ances-
trail acres and helping in the work
that Is far better than running trolley
cars or shaving for corporations ut
low wnges. when they could ne maxi
Ing homes in the country and caus-
Ing increased production on Virginia
acres. To such I shall offer all the
hcip In my power With an unsur-
passed Variety of soils and climates,
there is no reason for Virginia to be
tagging behind
To the men from other States who
have come to Virginia to aid in the
restoration OF our lands. we will Of
fer all the aid In our power to get
them Into the proper understanding
of new conditions to them. So let us
have q daily talk together
Good Crop for Hay
IiHison Grover soWn alone. is
hard crop to cure we'll. for the weather
when 1t comes In. is usually not the
best for hay making. and ] had about
concluded that the best use fO5 Grim
son clover is to turn the crop under
Tor corn or cotton. This will certain
IS save the buying of ammonia in a
fertilizer ana will make a good crop
In fact, one OF the best crops OF corn
| have seen in Maryland. ninety eight
and a half bushels an acre or n thirty
acre field, was grown on a crop OF