The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1922-01-05
MAKE CROPS YIELD AVERAGE
OF $57.24
Smith-Hughes Students Apply Sue
cessfully New Methods of
Farming

AuSheS SIudehUS, an additional S155,-
100000 would have been realized on
agricultural products, according to an
estimate prepared by E. B. Matthew.
state supervisor of Smith-Hughes
schools, who has compiled a summary
OF the work done in the state.
The summary is as follows:
A comparison of the average re
turns on corn, cotton, Irish potatoes,
sweet potatoes and dairying, the five
principal sources of farm income for
the year 1920, shows that on each
acre of corn farmed, the students re-
ceived an average return of S57.24,
while the farmers as whole made but
S22.69 per acre. This leaves a differ
ence of $34.55 per acre in returns
for the students, over the average
farmer. Since there were 2,36O.OOO
acres of corn, cultivated this wear
the added increased production would
have yielded $81, 1,538,OOO. The aver
age income on cotton for the state
was $31.04, while the Smth-Hughes
students produced $53, ,16, leaving a
balance of $22.12 per acre in their
favor. Multiplying this by 1850, 900.
the number of acres farmed to cotton
IS S68,263, 200. The student farmers
averaged S264.15 per acre on their
Irish potatoes, while the average for
the state was $136.51. This sub
tracted from S26415, made by the
students and multiplied by $1,000.
the number of acres farmed to pota
toes, gives an item. of 1856, $40. The
average income on sweet potatoes for
the state was $1O5.92 per acre. The
Sm1th-Hughes students show an aver
age of $200.15 per acre, a difference
of S94.2& As there were $1,000
acres of sweet potatoes grown this
year, it leaves another item of Sd 3
SO5,73O. In the dairy business the
students show an average of Sc per
cow over the farmers as a whole. /
There We're in this year 47O,211 cows
IN Arkansas. Therefore, on this farm !
terprise there would have been a
7ing of $2,95I,848. The aggregate
creased production on these five
Items totals little more than S155,-l
100000. This increased wealth
could have been secured by using
more scientific methods in farming.
coupled with better business methods
in marketing.
''This comparison is a fair test of
the value of these schools. They are
distributed widely over the state, and
the conditions under which they oper-
ate are none above the average The
farming is done on the home farm of.
the student, who uses the same equip
ment as his father. Many times the
boy is at disadvantage, as the father
will assign to him for his project the
poorest part of the home farm. The
only advantage the boy has over his
father is the class work at the school .
under an expert agricultural instruct
or, and the supervision of his project
by the teacher. While comparison is
made on but five farm enterprises, the
Smith-Hughes students grew success
fully last year thirty-nine different
varieties of crops, including practical
ly everything grown to advantage in
the state.
"It is interesting to contemplate
what this added wealth TO the state of
$155, ,OOO,OOO per year would mean.
If used for the benefit of the schools,
it would pay the current running ex-
penses of all the pubic schools of the
state for period of nineteen years.
The value of all school property in
Arkansas is $2O,OOO,OOO. This could
oe replaced nearly eight times. There
are 1925 rural school buildings in
Arkansas. This would replace each
one with a new building valued at
$4,000. At a cost of $25,OOO per
mile it would build 5000 miles of
good hard surface roads. This would
be sufficient to make thirteen high
ways north and south, and thirteen
east and west across the entire state.
Applying this to farm conveniences,
1T would supply 1890 homes with
electric lights, running water, and
bath. It would provide so, 600 tour :
ing cars of a certain standard make
generally used by farmers. d
''The Smith-Hughes Agricultural
schools were first introduced into !
Arkansas in 1918. They receive fed
eral and state aid for the teaching of
vocational agriculture. Students at
tending these schools spend one-half
their time IN the study of agriculture
and the other half in literary work. ]