The Denver star., 1917-06-02
:RURAl. LIFE IN
old DOMINION NJ
Virginia Farmers Realize Big
Increase Ia Crops.


USE OF IMPROVED METHODS
Rspset q Jshn D. pIsres Shows Re-
su:1s Obtained Through ths cs-spsr-
atien u Par~, Demonstration Agents
undse ths States Rsia4Isa Service
orsaA lseersse Taissa ja !cssa ojsbs.s
" WILLIAM ANTHONY AsRY.
Some 5000 farmers Of Virginia, un-
der tie leadership Of John B. Piercs.
who u Q Tusksgse-Hampton product,
wero influenced In the single calendar
year oe 1915 to improve their methods
ok woek and secure crop yislds far BE-
yood the sxpsctations Of the most
hopeful advocates Of the farm demon
shat1on idea. Eighteen local farm
demonstration agents working In tws0-
t-two counties Of Virginia under The
States Relations Service eouth-ths
frutt3oo ITSELF Of the epoch making
work oe Seaman A. Knapp-have
brought to the Negro farmers Tot only
nsw tdsas and better methods Of till
ing the sod and caring for farm prod
ucts, but also new vision Of farm Afe,
. clearer insight into farming a. Q
business rather than a. . mere occu-
patton and q deeper sense Of respond
bility for the all around education Of
their boys and girla
Let facts tell the story Of oesaniHa-
tons gift to Virginia, foc whatever
hSlps The Negro farmer to increase his
earning power also helps the white pe0-
pie to make genuine progresA During
1915, % Mr.. Pierce reports to Bradford
Knapp, chief Of the States Relations
Service, South, 40 Negro corn demon
stratorf In Virginia, cultivating ALSO
acres under improved methods, secured
an average yield Of thirty-three bushels
Per acre This was an increased yield
Of 90 bushels on Demonstration plots
over plots cultivated by ordinary meth
odA In addition, 1.001 co operators re-
ported q yield Of twenty-four bushels
per acre on 1859 acres
Granting that 4 similar result could
b obtained by all those who raise corn
II only education could be carried On
broadly, Virginia in a single year would
add &c, 900, 900 to the value Of hee out
put Of coen. Who dares to be skeptical
OF cynical ok the NegroeI interest In
better methods OF farming in the light
Of these 1actSs
CoVssponding rssults have besn ~
cured In ths small grains demcnstra-
lions. The average yield ok oats per
acre On demonstration plots vas 1S9
bushsas, representing an increased yield
Of Ct bushels and Of wheat 10,1 BUSH
Ella, representing an increased yield Of
Is buaha2A Today over 1000 Negro
farmers are using better methods Of
sovsrnmsnts interest in thsm.
Does an this pay In dollars and csnts
In Increased interest In farming, In bet
ter honest To ask the question Il to
answer it-certainlyl
Hay, forage. cover crops! These
words commonly mean little To the
Negro farmer oe Virginia, they now
spell success On the land. The local
demonstration agents have worked night
and day to make nArmers understand
the importance Of making TIE land pro
ducs without wearing Il out) more
food for man and beast and this story
OF awakening life On the farm.
Community development along all
good hnesr' This IL the object of the
19z Negro farmers' clubs which were
organized IN 1915 throughout Virginia
through tie cooperation OF John B.
Pierce and sixtsen local demonstration
agents working under The States Re
latioos Service and the extensio0 divi-
sion OF the Virginia Polytechnic insti-
tuts at Blacksburg. The total member
chip Of the clubs was 1888 and repre-
sented progressive, farsighted group
Of farmers In the Old Dominion.
Thsos clubs made . good beginning In
cooperation BY buying 22a4 tons of
time. Five OF the local agents also
kept bulletin board, listing goods for
sale and goods wanted
What do the local demonstration
agents do besides helping the farmers
TIL their land and grow better cropsl
Here u partial list, based ON Mr..
Pierce's 1915 report Of tho farm and
farmstead improvements which the
farmers Of Virginia have made with
The advscs and assistance Of the agents:
~ Buildings erected, $50; farm build
mgs painted OF whitewashed, $50: san
itaxy conditions 0arm and home) i'm
proved, 9S3; homes screened against
disa. 8S7; farmers furnished with plans
and induced to adopt 4 systematic 70
tation, 1Se; total acreage put. under 70
tatdon. 1,8oo; drainage system estab-
hshsd. 20; home water. systems In
stalled or improved, %; home grounds
improved, 394: home gardens. planted