Norwich bulletin., 1913-01-03

Tohn ). Dunn of Westerly. secretary of the state board of agriculture, writes Interestingly on the subject What Rhode Island Has Done to Make Farm Life Profitable. MT. Dunn writes, That agricultural pursuits have ad- vanced considerably in Rhode Island during the past year is apparent This is true both from the point of increased acreage planted to important farm crops and increased yields per acre. The farmer is giving more attention Co the selection of seeds and the fert1i- izing of his soil with the view of sup ulyinx the element necessary for the production of abundant and good crops. The exhibits at the state corn show es- tabiished this beyond a doubt. The remarkable yields of 121 1-2 bushels of corn from one acre of a farm that up to four or five years ago was re- xarded as unproductive and classified as an abandoned farm. shows what can be done with our many idle acres Care in seed Seleition was also shown by the many ears of perfect corn ex- hibited at the show. Fruit was abund- ant on the farms where attention was given to spraying for injurious insects and the growers show how alert they are to teh demands of the market by properly sorting and packing their ap- ples. The same attention to culdva- fion seed selection, etc, is shown in the growing of other crops
 ~The state has fos4ered this plan of proper cultivation, seed selection, pack Ing, spraying and the like through the state board of agriculture ana the state college, in the nature ot demon strations for spraying and through farmers institutes and lectures held in various parts of the state. The Idea of bringing aDCgt a settlement pr the farms. commonly called abandoned farms. but more properly termed idle farms has received the attention or the state through the state sconSerVa- ton coInission, which caused census of the idle farms in the state for sake or lease to be made. Five hundred farms were listed in two bulletins which were published. and of this nl1rr- Der according to returns from town clerks, many have been sold. ihese farms have been cultivated this past year, thereby adding many acres in the total amount cultivated. The real es- tate men report a considerable demand for farms, and many of the men who were attracted by the cry of Go west young man are now returning to their native hearth to take up the culdya- lion of farms in Rhode Island.
 arhere :. hardly trade or profes- eson that does not have a quota of sppre-ucss, which in many cases wor4o seen altogether too great for
 tn necessities the trade or profes- 1Tade husbandman. k fe rsrs to see the city young man feel inclined to adopt farm life as. a. calling, and the almost universal desire of the boy reared on the farm is Do leave it for the city.
 If there were always a few hum dred or thousand youths serving at this occupation for a number of years, they might learn the whole art of it, and afteTward be enabled to be mas ters of it, devotfng their energy and the value of their exprience to direct ing the working out of the problems -f<11- c. No doubt if this were so there would be as many fortunes made in the coun- try as are gained in the various com mercial pursuits of the city.
 sfrhe farmer can live comfortably for a long period without dependence upon any of the city occupations. but the toiier in the mills and factories, stores and workshops. cannot well get along without the products of the husband man for any appreciable time.
 --Haryesting machines have been frn- proved almost to the degree of perfec- ton within recent years. and with the wealth of literature issuing annually from the departments of the govern ment and the improved methods of treating the soils to remove foreign substances and bring out all the nutrf- menf contained therein.- the farmers l task is greatly lessened.
 "The environments of the life should l also come in for conmendation, for no i set of men are so free from tempta- 44ons- The farmers life should nat uralay be the most quiet and least apt | to be inf1amed by the disturbances 1 which the city resident meets. His 1 vssry manner of living should incline | him and his interest bind him to peace
 When the opportunities are so | briJht and the surroundings so gen. | crafty satisfactory and ready at hand | it is curious that more young men do | 4<,Jv <1 41,. 7p- osat an existence in the crowded cities where the task is not only troublesome, Elft dangerous as wel1.,'
 The steel stacks to accommodate the growth of the Westerly public library have arrived, and will be installed in the basement of Memorial building, in the section formerly used as the bowl