Southern planter - The W&M Digital Archive

1908.] THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 31
THE FARMERS' WINTER COURSE AT THE VIRGINIA
POYTECHNIC INSTITUE.
Editor Southern Planter:
Two distinct problems in agricultural teaching now con-
front the Land Grant Colleges. The first is the technical
preparation of men to advance the sciences on which the
art of agriculture rests, and the other is to devise the
best means of bringing before those who practice the
art of agriculture—the farmers—the facts obtained by
scientific investigation. Three methods have been used
in reaching the farmer: First, agricultural literature, including
agricultural journals of all types and Experiment
Station bulletins, second, the Farmer's Institutes, and
third, the Farmer's winter course. The first methods have
the great advantage of wide distribution, and nothing can
take their place. The Farmer's Institute is expensive if
carried on on a large scale, but it has the advantage of per-
sonal contact.
Both of the preceding, in spite of their many advantages,
are deficient in one element—they cannot carry with them,
even with best illustrations and drawings, a proper idea
of the apparatus and scientific planjt from which the
truths they enunciate have been drawn. The Farmers'
winter course, as given in the Land Grant Colleges, is the
final and last step of a graded system. Here those attend-
ing see it he expensive barn and herds, the proper milking,
weighing, and testing of milk. Spraying and pruning are
shown in the large college orchard, crop pests in museum
cases, forcing methods in the greenhouses, etc. It is of
advantage chiefly to those who have thought and studied.
Coming as it does annually during the farmers' period of
rest in mid-winter, several week's time can be given, and
ward. Shenandoah. Smythe and Wythe. It was a body of
men of unusual intelligence, and many of them of considerable
wealth. About half of them secured accommodation
at the hotels and in private families, but the crowd
who seemed to enjoy it most were those who went together
into the Agricultural Building. Some of the large
lecture rooms of this building were emptied, and iron beds
placed in them in English dormitory fashion. In the
same building were reading rooms with all the agricultural
journals of the country, bulletin rooms, etc. Several times
a week projectoscope lectures, and other methods of entertainment
were given at night. In the basement floor of
the same building, a large room was used for stock judg-
ing, where at one time as many as six Jerseys and six
Guernseys were exhibited side by side for farmer students
to work on with score cards. In the rear of this building
is a battery of five greenhouses, and here the farmers in
small sections, were taught the proper and 5m proper
Miscellaneous.
methods of preparing spraying mixtures—Bordeaux, lime
sulphur, etc. At the barn a twelve horse power engine
was used in demonstrating the practical use of corn
husking and shredding machinery, ensilage outters, etc.
Ail this Demonstration work was done in the afternoon,
while in the morning of the same days lectures were
given on the principles underlying each procedure.
The farmers boarded at the college mess at the rate of
$3.00 per week, and they seemed to enjoy very much the
accommodations provided. The course of lectures was so
arranged that the general principles of agriculture came
first, then horticulture was added, then animal husbandry,
dairying, etc. A general idea of the course is shown in
the following:
Prof. Davidson: Stable Manure—Commercial Fertilizers—Nitrogen
and Potash—Home-mixed Fertilizers.
Prof. Holden: Origin of Soils, etc.
Dr. Ellett: Soil Physics— Soil Chemistry, etc.
—
—
Prof. Carrier: Silo Construction—Filling Silos—Soiling—Forage
Crops—Crop Rotation—Cropping Systems.
Prof. Price: Locating Orchard—Pruning Vineyard
Growing Orchard—Spraying—Pruning—Orchard Pests
Fruit Harvesting.
Dr. Quick: Breeding of Cattle—Breeding Principles
Feeding Principles—Stock Judging.
Dr. Spencer: Holsteins, Jerseys, Guernseys, Beef Cat-
tle, Swine and Sheep.
Dr. Ferguson: Milk Fermentation—Milk Sterilization
Col. Marr: Farm Surveys—Farm Levels—Land Drain
age—Hydraulic Rams—Roads and Road Making.
Dr. Spencer: Castration—Examining Horses—Wounds,
Col.
experience has proven
Wood:
these courses
Seed Testing—Plant Propagation
to be of the highest
advantage.
Greenhouses.
At
Mr. Holdaway:
the "Virginia Folytechnic Institute such a course was
Babcock Test—Fasteurizing—Cheese
inaugurated this winter
Making.
for the first time. Eighteen coun-
Frof. Hutchison: Plat
ties in the State were represented by one or more
Experiments—Corn Improvement.
farmers,
'
as follows: Albemarle,
Mr. Peyton: Inspection of Barns—Implements—Ma-
Alexandria, Bedford, Botetourt,
Campbell, Culpeper, Floyd, James City, Montgomery,
chinery— Silo Machinery— Silo Filling.
Nelson,
Nottoway, Orange,
Prof Sanders:
Pittsylvania., Powhatan, Prince Ed-
City Milk Trade—Butter Making.
Prof Phillips: Orchard Pests—Grain Insects—Healthy
etc.
Trees.
Dr. Smyth: The Relation of Bird Life to Agriculture:
L Hawks and Owls. II. Insects and Grain-Eating Birds.
The authorities of the Virginia Folytechnic Institute
nave learned much from the present course. They will be
able to make the next one much better. This course
during the winter of 1908-9 will begin about the first week
in January and last one month. It will be so arranged that
the major part of the first two weeks will be general
agriculture and agronomy, at the beginning of the third
week horticulture, which will last about two weeks, while
the last week or ten days will be devoted largely to dairy-
ing and dairy practice. In this way a farmer can take all,
or if he is a horticulturist or dairyman and wishes to con-
concentrate on these only he can get away in eight or ten
days. Judging from the interest elicited from this course,
it is belived that the number next year will show a hun*