The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1947-01-18

DEAN COLMER MAKES REPORT
TO TRUSTEE BOARD ON
CONDITIONS AT ALCORN
General Dissertations and Recon-
menddtiOnS

General Dissertations and Recon-
mendations
In so far as row crop farming at
Alcorn A. & NJ College is concern
ed, l recommend that such land use
practice be virtually abandoned
and the adoption of a broadcasting
system of farming be adopted. This
may seem bit drastic, but all who
are concerned may as well face the
fact as it exists. This is not intend
ed to mean defeat in the conduct
of a good sound agricultural pro-
gram. On the other hand, it simp-
ly means shifting to what would
seem to be a sound land-use pro-
gram. l believe Mr.. Dowdell shar-
es with us one hundred per cent
the same view point. In fact,
through his guidance they have
already begun in small way that
very thing This would mean that
grains would be supplide primar-
lily in the form of oats with linn
tied amount of other small grains.
Pastures and hay crops would be
supplied by clover which except
ionally well in this soil In fact.
the soil is of the wind blown type
common to this whole area of the
country and which is generally ac-
copied as among the best soils of
our state in upland regions. This
would further mean that a live
stock program, both dairy and beef
cattle, as well as hogs might be
loked to as a major cash crop.
The dairy cattle and beef stock
now at the College are not in good
condition, due to the lack of suf-
ficient feed and more especially
the lack of good pasture The stock
both dairy and beef, cannot be ex-
pected to develop more rapidly
than such cropping system can be
put into practice. l recommend
the establishment of a good pro-
duction herd of dairy cattle, with
the emphasis placed on a producing
grade herd rather than on building
a particularly strong registered
herd. Again, / am thoroughly a.
ware of likely criticism at that
point. However, / have twenty
five years of fairly successful ex-
perience behind my theory of build
ing mail-producing herd, and am
willing to stand ON it. / have al
ways used some of the best stock
possible for foundation and did the
rest with fine registered bulls
These people at Alcorn need milk
more than they need registration
papers right now.
They are doing very good job
with poultry. Their hog produc-
ton is very god as far as it goes
in terms of meat production. They
can and should get some good bre-
eding stock. The truck farms and
garden grounds are excellent for
production The canning plant
makes an ideal set-up for unlimited
success in that phase AS we all
know, canning in the past few
years has been of utmost import
ance and will likely continue for
some years to come. The econom-
ic value of home canning varies
with the output and cost of COM
mercially canned vegetables They
have splendid potato curing
house and / strongly recommend
that a material increase in potato
acreage be made and that the Num-
Der One Grade of potato be stored
in the curing house and that the
large volume of culis be made av-
ailable for use with the dairy herd
to supplement them over the rainy
days when they cannot run on win
ter oat pastures
The farm equipment is fairly
good, but heavy tractor should
be made available to handle the
new broadcast cropping program
we recommended. The amount of
row crop farming devoted to corn
should be limited at best to barely
enough to feed the work stock
With this system we recommend
there is no demand for a large
supply of work stock. The only
cotton | would recommend would
be in plots for demonstration only.
Curriculum,
Our last half day at the College
was spent with President Pipes;
Dean Muldrow, and the entire ag-
ricultural staff, including Profess
sor Fobbs, the Teacher Trainer, in