The sun., 1919-10-12

, content with remaining in their labor
atories rather than going out among
tho farmers In order that they might
help them to a better understanding
| OF their problems.
The French Ministry of Agriculture
Is we'll cognizant of this fact, and has
in contemplation a reorganization of
the French experiment stations and
agricultural schools. to the end that
a more effective machinery may be
created for giving to French agricul-
ture the benefit of scientific research.
1t is proposed among other things to
corelate agricultural research with
agricultural extension in order that
| there may be a most effective appli-
cation of new methods and devices in
| agricultural production.
There are many interesting farms
among the larger holdings in this ter
ritory. One of these is a farm of
about 500 acres owned by the presi-
dent of the agricultural cooperative
societies of the province. For a pc
riod of fifty years this farm has been
practically without live stock. barring
II
the cultivation of the land. rota-
ton consisted of wheat. oats and al
| falfa is followed Commercial fertiliz-
ers are used in reasonably large but
not excessive amounts. The records
show that the average yields of wheat
have increased from about twenty-five
to thirty bushels per acre, and the
yield Of oats from about forty to sixty
bushels per acre. The application OF
fertilizers usually consists of $50 to
$50 pounds Of superphosphate and so
to 200 pounds of sulphate of ammonia
per acre. Before the war muriate of
potash was also used at the rate of
| 80 to 100 pounds an acre. 1t is eX-
pected by the owner that the use of
potash will be resumed as soon as an
adequate supply is again available.
More or less nitrate of soda Is also
used for top dressing wheat in the
| spring. For top dressing pastures
basic Stag is preferred, since this seems
to be more effective than superphos-
phate for encouraging the growth of
the finer grasses, particularly of white
clover. The yields of wheat oats. al
falfa and of beets while good are not
ms high as those produced by English
farmers under similar climatic condi-
tons.
Nevertheless. the owner when ques-
toned seemed to think that large
applications of commercial fertilizers
would not be profitable. His records
show that of the total cost Of the
wheat crop, IL per cent. is charge
able for man labor, 81 per cent. for
horse labor, 26 per cent. for manure
and fertilizer, IS per cent. for seed,
" per cent. for rental of the land
and Is per cent. for supervision, de-
probation and so forth. 1t is evil
dent that at best the net profits per
acre cannot be very larg. with
| this system of cropping Profitable
production becomes possible only on
tho larger farms where labor saving
machinery Is employed to the fullest
advantage. AS 1t is. the nitrogen OBJ
| tanned from the air through the al
| faifa crop is the prime factor in re-
| ducing the cost OF protection and in
| maintaining unimpaired the fertility
| OF the soil. The alfalfa crop is good
for two or three years-usually the
lattcr. 1t accumulates during that
timo sufficient quantity of nitrogen
from the air to provide pretty well
Tor the needs of the wheat, oats. beets
or potatoes that may follow the al
falfa. A difficulty is now and then
experienced in preventing the lodging
OF the wheat on account OF the excess
sive quantity of nitrates resulting
from The decomposition of the alfalfa
70 CI
quantities of superphosphates and the
selection Of wheat varieties with sitter
straw will make possible in time the
reaching of the level of production to
10 and possibly As bushels of wheat
per acre. This has been done by farm
ers in England under very similar soil
and climatic conditions.
The farmers of the Loire Valley have
developed a series of cooperative So
cieties, which are united under a GEN.
trail organization, with headquarters at
Blois. While cooperation in actual
crop growing seems to be difficult to
the small farmers in this region. CO.
operation in the purchase of supplies
has become feasible. These coopera-
tive organizations, known as svndi-
| Gates, have total membership of a.
600. The organization itself is quite
unique among the farmers of the
country. The cooperative movement
started in the early sos, but the
Central Syndicate did not attempt pur-
chases on a large scale until the end
of the first decade of the present CEN
fury. The Central Syndicate is now
controlling at least 80 per cent. of the
farmers business of this district 1t
io buying for its members annually
about $1,000 tons of phosphate fer
tilizers, about 5000 tons of potash fer
tilizers 5000 tons of sulphate OF am
monia and $500 tons of nitrate of soda.
The consumption of commercial fer
tilizers held its own in spite of the