The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-31
ANOTHER COUNTY
TO DEMONSTRATE
Allegheny Business People Study
the Situation and Arrange for
Demonstration Work.
ny II. o. SANDY,
State Demonstrntion Agent.


Looking out OF the car windows en-
route from Lynchburg TO Covington,
Allegheny County, Va. as We pass
through the counties of Amherst, Bed
ford. Botetourt and, after getting into
Allegheny. we find n most beautiful
section OF country, as the railroad
winds in and out among the noun
tains. following for stretch OF about
100 miles the James River. While
this country is very pretty and pic
tures1ue. the farms are very poorly
titled. farm life and rural conditions
In general are not what they might
be. Very little scientific farming Is
done. These farmers, for hundreds OF
years. have put in the same crop each
year, nothing but corn. grass and cat
tie. shipping the cattle year after year,
thereby robbing the soil of phosphorus.
You rarely ind farmer in that sec
ton who has good rotation OF crops.
they have never given the matter any
thought. No lime has been used for
generations. III ever, and while the
country is naturally blue grass coun-
try. the continual shipping of cattle,
none-use OF lime and phosphorus has
about exhausted the one time thought
"inexhaustible" blue grass sod, there
fore. 1t behooves these people to wake
up. and BY a careful rotation OF crops.
the use of more lime and phosphorus.
bring back these lands to their orig!-
nal fertility
The Board OF Supervisors and bust
ness men OF Allegheny County. realiz-
ing fully the conditions. called n meet
ing OF farmers at Covington, August
20. tor the purpose of finding some
solution to this question.
They very naturally thought of the
Farmers Cooperative Demonstration
Work. and after 1t had been explained
TO them as standing for the better
drainage OF the soil. the deeper and
more thorough preparation OF the soil
for planting, the value of better seed,
how to produce it, how to select 1t and
keep 1t pure. the testing OF the seed
before planting. the proper spacing to
suit the plant, soil and climate. the
value OF intensive cultivation during
the growing season for conservation
of moisture. the Importance of humus
In the soil and the use of barnyard
manure, farm refuse and commercial
fertilizers, the value OF crop rotation
and winter cover crops on Southern
farms, for maintenance and building
up OF fertility. the use of more horse
power and less hand power, the ac-
complishment of more work In day,
the use OF better tools for this same
purpose. the great Importance OF live
stock as part of a permanent system
of agriculture, the production of all
home supplies Of food required for
men and animals on the farm. the
testing Of COWS. spraying OF orchards
and insect pests and the keeping OF
an account in order to show whence
the profit and whence tho loss in the
farm operations. they realized 1t was
just what they needed. An appropri-
alton was shortly made of $500 to-
wards the salary of a local agent to
do this work in that county The
United Agricultural Board of Virginia
and the United States Department of
Agriculture will put up like amount
making $1,000. which ought to enable
us to get an efficient man.
This meeting was well-attended, and
great deal of interest manifested.
We hope In twelve months to show
wonderful change for the better in
this county as a direct result of the
demonstration work