The Jones County news., 1915-02-18
'9RT ON THE
, ,MONSTRATION
/ORK TO DATE
hed by g. e. Hailes, County
Demonstration Agent.


TO you this my report for the monti
or December. 1914, / beg tocali your
attention to some Of the results O
the demonstration work When
entered the work 10 the county foui
years aQo last october J took mJ
brst trip over the county, securing
farmers to carry on demonstratatiof
work. took special notice MS 10 The
condition II the farms. There was
not single terrace ia tho county
cultivated. all Won could see on the
hin farms was an eye sore sight Of
narrow razor back terraces, with
breaks and gapcs and gullies all the
Bay from the top OF the Hill % the
bottom. The terraces we're decorat-
ed with growth Of broom sage,
b0shes, Briars, weeds, stumps and
breeding and alternating places for
all manner OF insects The razor
back terrace didn't only do as des-
cribod above, but it deprived the
farmers of al least two or three rows
for every terrace be had iu his field,
and still was failure as land
saver. -Four years ago there were
only very few fields free from
stumps, -Four years ago It was
common sight to see farmers picking
up corn and cotton stalks and burn
Ing them, setting fire to all the grass
in the field and burning II of, and
actually saw one farmer rak ne up n
heavy growth of pea vines and corn
stalks with a hay rake and burning
them.
-Four years ago farmers as rule
saved little lot fertilizer. Very little
attention was given to building up the
land, scarcely any effort to breed up
their stock farms every where had au
unsighthly appearance; not a single
fruit tree had been sprayed any
where In the county; that | could find
or hear Of. Sam Jose Scale was In
practically every orchard in the
county, and three tourths of them
we're practically destroyed by the
scale Not even a spray pump for
spraying trees could be found in the
entire county, farmers had given up
hopes OF raising any more fruit, no
clover, no cover crops OF any kind,
growing TO Craze stock, or turn under
Tor manure, no velvet beaps.
Now us TO the change aud progress
that has been made In the past four
years, couldn't and don tclaim cred
II for all OF 1t; but do claim acredit
for the greater part Of 1t.
have since entered the service
of the government demonstration
work layed of terrace lines in over
200 fields, laying of some 1,S00 or
1000 terrace lines amounting to
something like five thousand acres,
and practically 400 miles of terrace
lines, through the terrace demonstra-
tions and influence of the work. A
large number of terraces have been
layed OIL and built up, cultivated and
washes stopped.
To-day there are at least ten fields
free Of stumps for every one that was
tree OF them five years ago. Four
years ago You could scarcely see a
field free of stumps, and to day its
no uncommon thing to see fields free
of stumps any where you may go in
the First District.
Four years ago, no effort was made
to destroy the Sau jose scale that
ruined The fruit orchards, Since
that time / have demonstrated that
fue fruit such as peaches and plums
can be produced here by the proper
method OF cultivation aud spraying,
have ordered over 1000 fruit trees,
and seven barrel spray pumps for
farmers in my district and | am
going to continue until every farmet
in my district raises fruit. have OF
dered one lot ottrees and have another
LOT TO order this winter.
am pushing the frmtindustry along
slow but making good as l go FouI
years ago, farmers burned their corn
stalks, cotton stalks ani what gras:
grew in their fields. Now it is very
seldom thing to find farmer burning
stalks land no grass unless, it's few
cotton stalks to kin weevils, Velvet
beans are planted in 50 percent of tn,
corn and peas sowed in the other q
per cent in my district. We hay,
Just about doubled lhesereage in os S
and 20 per cent OF the oaN land is sowec
in peas and pinders afterShe oats ar,
harvested
Four years ago but very feg farm
ers plowed under any vegetahA mat
ter on their land, Now 90 perceS O
all the farmers are very anxious A,
are turning under all vegetable matte
they can to build UP theie land.
Aud you can easily see the result
ofit. Better methods of farming an
better tools are being used on mos
ali farms, and the results are see
evervwhere.