The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1914-12-24
Brentwood, Ga. 12-1e-14-

j Bronwood, Ca, lz-lo-l4'
/ Ny dear Sir;
This marks the close Of the De-
monstration Work in Terrell and
Lee counties for 1914 and ] take
great pleasure in giving 9 summary
Of what the work has accomplished.
The work was begun Feb. I when
so demonstrators were enrolled.
These men agreed to plant, fertili-
ze, and cultivate certain crops &C.
eording to government Methods
keep records of all expenditures,
and note the yields. Sept. 1st 40
more demonstrators were added to
this list, and agreed to plant vetch
bur clover, crimson clover. and ALE
alta. During the year I have paid
these demonstrators 1913 visits, not
only to advise them relative TO the
best methods of planting and cul-
tivating their demonstration fields.
but about everything CONNECTED wAth
farm life. In this advice ! have
constantly striven, to be conseFya-
tive in every instance. backing my
Judgment with that Of the =. y
Department Of Agriculture and the
State Agriculture College, with
which | have been closely in touch.
In making these visits ! have tray
eled ais miles. In interest Of
these men | have written 489 let
tiers, getting information from dill
ferent sources, relating directly or
indirectly 10 their farms.
III acres Of cotton have Desncul-
tivated according to government
methods, with an average yield per
acre of 1880 pounds Of seed cotton.
The greatest yield was 5000 pounds
and the smallest, 600 pounds. In
/ every case where the yield was be-
| low 1000 pounds the land was al
/ fected with wilt, the greatest draw
back to cotton raising in this sec
ltion. When these fields were &C.
lected for demonstrations, ! did not
know that they we're affected with
wilt, or / would have taken steps
THAT would have resulted in better
Yields. For such lands | distribu-
ted so bushels Of Dixie Wilt Rests
Itant seed, but the disease being 50
general, these seed did not near
cover the affected territory. SO per
Icent of the cotton from those seed
lived and some Of it as on as badly
affected soils as / ever saw. The
Weld in seed cotton varied from 900
to 1000 povnds Of seed cotton pei
Eacre. This disease caused loss Of
$3.50 900 to the state in 1910. After
1.-The soil is once affected we can gel
rid of the disease only by rotation
using wilt resistant seed such al
Dixie, and by usingin our rotation,
corn, wheat, rye, oats, iron COW
pea, velvet beans and peanuts. This
is natures method Of forcing US t.
do things we ought to do ANYWAY
We can never improve our soils anc
bring them up TO the state Of cult
tivation that they ought to be til
we begin a systematic rotation o
crops.
259 acres of corn were cultivated
according to government methodi
with an average yield Of zs.9o BUS
hels per acre for the adult farmer
and an average Of IS bushels pc.
acre for the club boys. The creates
yield was 10 bushels and the leas
was Is bushels. The greatest draw
. back to corn raising in the tw'
: counties is the fact that the clear
: culture associated with so much cot
ton raising has exhausted the vege
table matter in the soil. Corn re
: quires a great amount ef moisture
!. and this vegetable matter from peas
/. velvet beans, etc., is very necessar
to hold the moisture till needed b
the plant in its maturing stage. Th
injury Of our soils from pIantin
!. cotton after cotton 50 many times