The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-11-21
NTg7r6gINa agW WsY
He Took
The Course
FARMER JONES TELLS OF HIS
EXPERIENCE AT THE AGR1-
CULTURAL COLLEGE.

N.. -|" .I"".t To-. .."H
-
Last winter when l decided to go
up to Mofgantown to take the two
weeks course in agriculture" says
Farmer Jones, all my neighbors
held up their hands in amazement.
Didn't I know haw to farm already :
Hadn't l grown the best corn and
latest steers for years? What did |
want to go zip there to the college OF
agriculture for?
81 didn't say very much but | put
in a lot Of time thinking. Suppose.
/ had grown pretty fair corn for sew
erol years-perhaps there was n
other variety which would produce.
more bushels without any additional
labor or possibly there was some
point about cultivation. or fertiliza-
tion, or selection or something of
the kindthat hadn't leaked over into
our valley yet and which might
mean dollars to me of properly ap-
piled. Suppose my cattle did look
sleek and fat was morally GER
tain that It was costing me too much
to keep them that way, and If ther"
was a more economical system of
feeding | wanted to know about it
why shouldn't l know about 1t? MAY
be | wasn't even growing the crop
best suited to my land, or following
the general system of farming which
would yield me the biggest returns.
Clearly It was up to me to find OUT
$50 | took the morning train and
| arrived at Morgantown that evening.
Immediately l found dozens OF men
on the same mission and we had Il
right good time comparing notes and
talking about things down state.
| Next morning classes opened up full
blast and men Of experience ana
trimming started in to tell us some
Of the underlying principles OF agri-
cultural practices. If you will be-
lieve it, | want to say those lectures
lust opened up . new world to ME. ]
never knew before just how the soil
happened to be made up just as 1t Is,
nor what was wrong with corn
stalks that turned pale after a little
while. nor why clover wouldn't grow
in certain fields, nor why you have 70
mi little bacteria in the soil before
alfalfa will grow-HGnest now, coulo
v7;l, yourself, answer all those ques'
lions off-lland.? And then another
instructor showed us how to so ov0r
a horse and pick out the good ana
bad points showed how one horse
at first glance might look almost US
euCd as another and still be worth
much less. It made me think of old
Dobbih and Frank at home-Im
| afraid Dobbin's narrow shoulders
and pigeon toes wouldn't score very
high paid a good price for him,
too.
81 didn't happen to be so much in
torcsted in the pruning and spraying
demonstrations given in the hortt-
cultural department so | put in as
much time as l could around the
dairy barns and creamery. 1t beats
all how much you u learn by just
keeping your eyes open. found out
how to mix up u good dairy ration
how 10 care for milk to keep it from
sourinlg, and how to check up on old
pccsy with the milk scales and Bah
rocN test to see whether she is pay
ing a profit or whether she is IN
clined to loaf on the job.
"All these labor saving devices 70
nelp a man handle feed, water ana
little with the least expenditure OF
energy we're a revelation to me and
tile first thing l knew ] was spend
Ing so much time hanging around
the barns, stock pens and laboratorT
los that | didn't have time to visit
many Of the big state meetings helq1
nc same week by the stock growers
the grain dealers. the fruit growers
The dairymen and poultrymen and 4
lot of others. What? Am I going
I'D again this year? Well, should
! say | am. I'm going to attend some
Of those other meetings. I've got to
see that state coru show and then
besides that / am just loaded up to
Overlooking with questions that
want to ask those professors and 9TH
er farmers. Better meet lie up a;
Morgantown and take the short
course, January GIG. 1t won't cost
much and you'll never regret it."