The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-27
THE PRACTICADiLIrY OF
THE FARM ATOR

THE FARM DEMoNsTRAToR
! We frequently hear the question ask
| cd by some farmer of the man who
visits the farm and endcavors TO aid
! him In creasing his yield or improve
the general condition OF his farm Does
lie know anything about farming? Did
he ever do any farming? Does he know
! how TO pillow? bet he could not pillow
| a straight row to save his life, etc
/ We will answer the questions by ask
/ ing one. Does 1t signify that q lawyer
who is teaching In law school does
not know anything about law, simply
because he is teaching others the rudi-
inents OF law? Does Ii signify that he
/ Is incapable Of going into the courts
and handling case along with law
/, yers who had never taught law?
I Is Ii any assurance that "A doctor
| knows nothing or medicine simply be-
cause no is teaching medicine in a
medical college? we. feel sure there
are few people who would turn him
/ down simply because he had spent some
OF his time teaching others the law If
medicine. So We might go asking the
same OF minister's, engineers. telegraph
operators. etc. 1t does not signify that
his profession that he Is ignorant of
| the laws or has never had any prnctl-
cal experience in their operations.
On tho other hand. II usually signi-
i TICS lnat ne possesses superior Kn0Wl
| edge and has had more extensive prac-
| tice than the average person OF his
| profession, TO hRro been selected TO
| interpret the laws and operations Of
| his profession.
True of Farmcr-Teacher.
The same la true OF the man who
| has been selectcd to aid tho farmer
| In increasing his yields and improving
| the rural conditions. He IS usually
selected because he has made n Sic
cess with his farm and has made
careful study of the operation of tho
I laws OF growth and production 1t
| does not signify mat simply because
/ he 's not growing a crop at the time
| lie visits your farm. that hc has never
farmcd or is ignorant of farming. 1t
! does not signify because n doctor is
teaching In medical college that he
! mas never studied or practiccd mrai-
| cine: on the other hand, ii il pretty
good evidence that he has. The same
applies TO tho farm demonstrator
We overheard farmer remark
/ some days ago that nc bet he had for
\ gotten moro about farming than tho
/ county demonstration ever knew. one
/ little thing prevented us from believ-
/ ing his statement and that was that
he had not been employed az county
! Demonstration Instead of the other
man The public knows pretty wen
\ what every farmer In a community
/ is doing. and when the department
| goes out TO hunt a man for tho posi-
), ton OF demonstrator they try to get
I the very best qualified person In tho
county. and / wondered how il was
possible :his gentleman had been over
/ looked.
Just as the professor teaching In the
| medical college does not claim TO know
all about medicine, so the farm demon
strator does not claim To know all
about farming. Flo claims there is
s.s1a xs.f 49,,
I that much that has been learned he
does not know. However il is pre-
sumed that he has been prepared for
his work. and in 4 cooperative way
VIII be able TO give most farmers sug-
gcstions that will aid them. lie is
also kept in touch with farm improve
Inents and progress over the entire
country. which the usual farmer is UNI
able TO DO, for the reason that lie is
not able nor has time to travel over
the country and attend meetings that
Will put him i'm touch with the farm
progress. This the county demonstra-
tor can bring TO him.
7 Welcome the Demonstration.
| Let's welcome the county demon
strator every visit and get all the in
I formation possible.
| Wise the man who knows he has
not cncompassed all wisdom. and sue
cess lies in wait for the man whose
\ heart Is open for instruction. Even If
Mc have forgotten more than the other
person ever knew" /; is possible for us
TO learn from him. The ignorant negro
| has taught US some valuable lessons
with his simple logic. There arc fcw
| farmers In the South but who have
learned some good lessons about farm
ing from tho negro, usually about some
little thing, OF course. III requires
more knowledge To be q good farmer
than nearly any other occupation:
\ a ms
possible and from every source pos
sible.
bookkeeping.
Any man. however successful who
4 doesn't keep records and take account
| OF stock frequently, can be shown
where he is losing money. lie may
/ show a largo yearly profit, but in
4 some department. were records kept,
q loss would tie shown that was great
| ~ reducing his legitimate profit. Well
| kept accounts showing knowledge of
| details of your business constitute one
of the strongest arguments you can
| present to the banker when in need
| of more capital. Farmers. above all
other men, ought to keep books
Dynamite Demonstrations.
For the purpose of demonstrating
the uses of dynamite In subsoilns
and breaking up new ground. Secretary
| Haddock, of the Commercial Associa-
/ ton. Of Danvillc. has made arrange
/ mcnts with tho Dupont Powder Com
| pany to send an expert to Danvillc to
| show iho farmers and gardeners of
/ the surrounding section OF Pittsylvania
| County the advantage TO be gained by
using explosives In farming. def
| mite date for the demonstrations has
not been set but they will take place
within the next thirty days and in
tercstcd people Will be notified In ad-
! vance.
Murintc and Sulphate OF POTASH.
/ "Will you please explain the differ
! ence between muriate and sulphate
OF potash, and why one is preferred 10
| the other in certain cases" The
muriate, or more poperly tho chloride
| of potash Is n salt made by the com
bination of hydro chloric acid potash.
| and the sulphatc Is the combination of
sulphric acid and potash. The chloride
has bad effect on the burning quality
| Of tobacco, on which 1t Is used, and 1t
| also has tho tendency to keep the crop
| green too late. Hence the sulphate is
always used on tobacco. Then many
,hinls that the sulphatc has q better
| effect the crOD of Irish DotatOeS