The Tupelo journal., 1918-02-22
EXPERTS TALK TO
FARMERS AND OTHERS
Large Crowd Gather at Court House
to Hear Mr.. Harper and Mr.. Evans


A large and representative crowd
of farmers and business men were at
the Court House Monday afternoon
to hear DIR. j. N. Harper, of Atlanta,
and Mr.. ]. A. Evans, of Washington.
Mr.. r. S. Wilson, of the state relation
service acted as chairman.
DR.. Harper for II years was dean
of the agricultural school and direct
or of the experiment station at Glenn
son College, S. c., now director and
agronomist for the Farm Service Bu-
reau of the Southern Fertilizer Asso-
citation, with headquarters in Atlanta,
spoke on soils and fertilizers.
He quickly impressed his audience
with his ripe knowledge of soils,
showing by charts and maps the
composition of the various types
found in the south and the general To-
cation of each. He then covered in
most practical and instructive man.
ner the subject of commercial fertl-
lizers, Showing their relation to crop
production and maintaining and In
creasing the soil fertility. Maps based
on the last federal census showed
plainly that the state of South Caro-
lima, a large portion of which was
abandoned by our forefathers after
they had mined" the soil, is now pro-
.ducing more wealth per acre than any
other southern state. This has been
made possible only by good farming,
growing legumes and the liberal and
intelligent use of commercial fertili-
zers, storing in the soil each year
more plant food than was removed by
the crops grown. In summing up Dr.
Harper gave some timely advice to
our farmers, emphasizing the fact
that in order to get the most from
our lands first of all it is necessary
to farn-Supply vegetable matter
and nitrogen by growing legumes,
drain where needed, sweeten with
lime where sour, cultivate well and
then we can get best possible results
from the use Of commercial fertlll-
zers. He pointed out as. has been
done here repeatedly that much of the
nitrogen needed so badly by practl-
-cally all lands Of this section can be
secured by the growing of peas, soy
and velvet beans, clovers, peanuts,
etc, but that there is only one way to
secure the much needed element for
producing the fruit on plant-phos-
phoric acid-and that by liberal ap-
plications of acid phosphate.
Mr.. Evans is field agent of the de-
partment of agriculture, and is now
in the south as a direct representa-
tive of the government at Washing
ton. He pointed out in a most force
full manner the danger to the south,
if tempted by the present high price
for cotton, they should go in for max
ing heavy crop of cotton and neg
lect to provide plenty of food and
feedstuff. He made strong appeal
to the patriotism of the southern
planter to not only provide for his
own needs, so that we will not be
burden to the nation in this crisis by
taxing the transportation facilities
in hauling food and feed from the
north and west, but to plan crops
that will provide surplus to go to
the support of our army and to our
allies who are fighting our battle for
us. He referred to the strike OF the
-shipbuilders, and stated that they de-
served an iron cross from the kaiser,
for hindering the construction of YES
sells, making it plain that any farmer
who asked some one else to provide
food for his family in order that he
might gamble on the presentt high
,,rice of cotton deserved the same
honor (?) 1t is not the purpose OF
the government to discourage the
growing of cotton, which is also VI
tai necessity, but they make patriot
ic appeal for safe farming-plenty OF
everything we need, liberal surplus
for our brothers in arms then all the
cotton we can produce. The farmers
of this section, we believe, can be de-
pended on for doing their full duty in
the uat.er Of helping to feed a hum
CRY werld
W.S.S.