South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-06-24
RUN DOWN FARM Is
PLACED ON PAYING
BASIS IN A YEAR
Purdue Experiment Shows
What Scientific Methods
Can Accomplish.

What science will do 10 put farm
on paying basis. even in the trying
times OF the last two years. Is well
illustrated on the Moses Fell Annex
farm near Bedford, which was given
20 Purdue University Agricultural
Experiment Station in 1914 by
Moses Fell Dunn and Miss Anton
nette Fell. ito make a thorough
study of the agricultural problems
OF southern Indiana and 70 deter
mine profitable methods OF soil man
agement, orchard management,
crop and livestock production, and
such other factors as would con-
tribute 10 a better agricultural and
more satisfying country life"
When work was undertaken the
farm waste producing 400 TO 500
apples in an orchard covering about
so acres OF land. Peach, plum AMI
pear trees had been planted among
the apples throughout the orchard
but nearly all of these and half Of
the apples were dead The cOndI-
lion OF the orchard was typical of
tho farm and its equipment. The
Underbrush sasafras. hickory
sprouts. locust trees, and buck
brush have been removed and dead
apple trees replaced with youns
trees. The orchard now consists Of
HOO bearing trees. and more than
1900 young trees planted 10 fill the
vacancies The old trees which
were in poor condieion have been
brought into vigorous growth and
profitable production. From 1000 TO
1000 bushels of apples have been
harvested each of the last six years.
A two acre peach orchard set IN
1916 TO study peach production had
its first crop at four years old and
produced about SOC bushels per
acre. Last year a freeze killed the
fruit. but this year prospects are for
"a heavier crop than two years ago
Experiments in spraying the contI Il
of insects and hlotch. fertilization.
cultivation, pruning and other lines
are in progress.
Two series Of soil fertility tests
are being started 70 determine the
hest method of crop production.
These experiments involve the use OF
limestone. phosphate, manure. pot
ash. and nitrogen alone and varl-
Gus combinations of them The un-
treated land has averaged 266
bushels of corn, three bushels OF
wheat and one-half ton OF hay per
acre. refusing TO grow clover. Ma
nure on each corn crop has increas-
ed its yield to S6.9 bushels OF corr,
IS bushel of wheat and s. tons OF
hay per acre. Phosphate in addi-
ton TO manure Increased the yields
to 52.6 bushels OF corn. SO bushels
o. wheat and one of clover hay per
acre. With corn worth so cents and
wheat $1.0O per bushel and hay at
$1,000 per ton, and acid phosphate
costing $4,000 per ton, each dollar
invested in phosphate has produced
crop increases worth 1855. Expe-
riments over several years have
shown that manure, limestone and
acid phOsphates will give lest re-
turns on this soil
A number of variety tests with
fruit and field crops are being car
ried on ard experiments in the best
methods Of handling pastures are
also underway.
Besides this experimental work
which has been mentioned briefly a
good flock OF pure-bred white leg
horn chickens has been developed
and n start has been made On herds
OF pig Type Poland China hogs.
Polled shorthorn cattle and a flock
OF Shropshire sheep. These herds
and fiocks are being developed from
one or two animals the same as the
average farmer would be compelled
TO start on his own farm thus pro-
viding an example Of the practicable
| ity OF the plans as proposed by the
Purdue Experiment Station.