The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1914-03-06

TWO THOUSAND
KENTUCKY BOYS
IN CORN CLUBS
Report of Field Agent Shows
How Work Is Progressing
In This State.
GOOD RESULTS IN
DROUGHT SEASON
Comprehensive Drainage Sys-
tenn Will Be Devised
BY Engineer.


far the farm demonstration work con-
Quoted by the Federal Bureau of
Plant Industry, through cooperation
with the State Department of Agricul-
ture and the university and normal |
schools, reaches into and grips the
rural community life, may be seen |
| from facts laid before the bureau in |
| the annual report or Jesse M. Jones, |
field agent in charge of Kentucky, !
| West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia |
who took charge of the work last July. |
The organization of fifty farmers
! clubs, for cooperative buying and |
selling and the study of agriculture, |
the enrolment of 1000 boys into corn |
clubs, and the success of SO of them |
in drought season IN raising an aver
age of GO bushels to the acre; the or
ganization of night schools, where the |
rudiments of common education, be-
sides the elements of agriculture, are
taught to men from Is to 81 years of
age; the invitations accepted by the
agents to fill the pulpits in country
and village churches and talk on agri-
culture to the congregations; the
saving of thousands Of dollars through
cooperative buying Of limestone and
hog cholera serum; the purchasing of
improved farm machinery; the &C
QUESTION by farmers of counties,
where agents are stationed, of
thoroughbred stock; the care of old
fruit trees; the drainage of land; the
re-establishment of pastures and deep
er blowing, are among the instrument
talities that Mr.. Jones says are bring
ing back the productivity of Kentucky
land and awakening the farmers to
sense of the mutuality of their inter
eStS.
Federal Help in Drainage.
The bureau took over the farm
demonstration management July 1 of
last year, prior to which time eight
men had been making farm demon
STATIONS. Since then five men have
been added at one time and six at an
other, all the agents receiving half
their salaries from local sources, by
subscriptions or appropriations by
Fiscal Courts. To assist in the i'm
proment Of farm property, Mr.. Jones
says, drainage engineer will be ap-
pointed. Last year one agent mapped
a drainage system of 1000 acres and
supervised the tilling of it. Another
agent titled IL farms. A comprehen-
sive system of drainage districts will
be devised by the drainage engineer.
The State Department of Agricul-
ture, the State University and the
Normal schools are cooperating in
the work and to show some of the re-
suits obtained the first year Mr.. Jones
reports:
Work was conducted on 5S4 diff
erent places along various lines
a1%r ~
corn on 1926 acres, making an eSti
mated average yield of 10 to 25 bus
more than fields cultivated in the or
binary way.
Il "In one county there were forty-siX
demonstrations of potatoes. In the
other counties much work was done
with truck crops. Eighty-two fields o.
alfalfa were started, averaging two tt
five acres. More than fifty fields Of
o cowpeas were sown. In some countie:
1 the increase was as high as 200 pei
cent. Several demonstrations with to
!. bacco were conducted.
"Of cover crops seventy-nine Grim
/ son clover fields were established
their size estimated to be ten acres O
/ over. Seven fields of vetch were like
.. wise sown. More than one hundred
started under the personal direction
OF the county agents and this doe
4 not include the many thousands o
70 acres that were sown indirectly be
I, cause of their newspaper articles an
20 addresses on the subject.
NJ Zone hundred and forty-five rota
~ ton crops were established on a
many farms, and several entire farm
| n6 IN
ID to be supervised by them. Forty
" one orchards were pruned, spraye
70 or planted and many others inspect
NJ ed. Three of the agents prune(
No sprayed or planted 1000 trees.
10 More than 14,347 hogs were inot
" lated for hog cholera, with almos
". complete success. In one county a
epidemic of catarrhal fever anon
horses and mules was stopped by tn
use of anti-toxin. This anti-toxin wa
" bought comparatively at direct sa7
- ing to the farmers OF $4,000. In al
other county an epidemic among pou
4 try was stopped at once.
Eighteen pure-bred sires wer
/ brought into the counties worked
| our agents.
/ Farm Water Systems.
"The installation of water system
I in farmhouses, the erection OF IL
l silos and the purchase of hundred
1 of improved cultivators and othe
/ farm machinery in counties where tn
agents operated is mentioned.
Fifteen pastures were establish
III ed" says the report, for the grain
iii of cattle and hogs. Besides thes
pastures, many farmers were induce
l to pasture cowpeas, soy beans, alfal1
j and clover fields with hogs.
y Fully half the demonstrators g
ready selected have broken the
demonstration fields. This plowir