The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1913-11-27
Why Farmer jones lOCk The Short
Course


go up to Morgantown to take the
two weeks course in agriculture
all my neighbors held up their
hands in amaZement. 'Di6n't |
know how to farm already?"
Hadn't | grown the best corn
and the latest steers for years."
What did | want to SO up there
to the College Of Agriculture
for?"
/ didn't say much but put in a
lot Of time thinking. Suppose /
had grown pretty fair corn for
several years perhaps there was
another variety which would
produce more bushels without
any additional labor or possibly
there was some point about cult
VatiOn, or fertilization, or selec-
tion or something of the kind
shat hadn't leaked over into our
valley yet and which might mean
dollars to me if properly applied.
Suppose my cattle did look sleek
and fat was morally certain
that it was costing me too much
10 keep them that way, and if
there WIS a more economical sys-
tenn of feeding | wanted to know
about it-why shouldn't | know
about it? Maybe | wasn't even
growing the crop best suited to
my land, or following the gener-
al system Of farming which would
WELD me the biggest returns.
Clearly it was up to me to find
out.
So | took the morning train and
arrived at Morgantown that even
ing. Immediately ! found doZ-
ems Of men on the same mission
and we had a right good time
comparing notes and talking
about things down state. Next
morning classes opened up full
blast and men of experience and
framing started to tell US some OF
the underlying principles of ag-
ricultutal practices. Ifyou will
believe L, I want to say those
lectures just opened up a new
world to me. never knew before
tut how the soil happened to be
made mp just as it ID. 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
10 out those little bacteria in the
soil before alfalfa will grow.
Honest now. could YOU, yourself,
answer al those questions off
hand? And then another in
structor showed us how to go
over u horse and pick out the
GOOD and bad points showed
how one horse at first glance
might look almost as good as an
other and still be worth much less.
It made me think Of old Dobbin
and Frank at home I'm afraid
Dobbin's narrow shoulders and
pigeon toes wouldn't score very
high paid a good price for him
to-.
/ didn't happen to be much in
terested in the pruning and
spraying demonstrations given
an the Horticultural Department
so put in as much time as /
conld around the dairy barns and
creamery. 1t beats all how you
can learn by just keeping your
eyes open. / found out how to
mix up a good dairy ration, how
10 care for milk to keep it from
sour,ng. and how to check up on
old Bossy with the milk scales
and Babcock test to see whether
she is paying a profit or whether
she is in lined to loaf on the job.
All those sayings devices to
help a man handle feed, water
and litter with the least eXpendi-
ture Of energy we're a revelation
to me ana tie first thing ] knew
/ was spending 50 much time
hanging around the barns, stock
pens and Laboratories that J
didn't have time to visit many of
the big state meetings held the
same week by the stock growers,
the grain dea' crs, tbe fruit grow
ers. the dair,men and Oultry-
men. aud a lot q Others. What
Am going up again his year?
Well ] should say ! am. I'm 20
80 A. oA4o..I .-1r,oo cf those 9th