The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, December 10, 1907, Image 1
V
VLXLIV NO 99 NEWBERRY, S. C., TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10. 10.TIEAWE.$.0AYA
SOIL DEMONSTRATION
BY THE GOVERNMEN'
Important Work to be Done in thi
State Under the Supervision of
Experienced Students of
Soil Conditions.'
The State.
- That the United States departmen
of agriculture recognizes the vas
possibilities of the Southern so
and especially that of South Carc
lina is shown by the various experi
ments that are to be conducted i:
this state by its agents. The burea
of plant industry, through the agen
in charge, Dr. A. A. Knapp, has of
ganized a farmers' cooperative dem
onstration work to be conducted i:
certain states of the union. The at
tual work is conducted by agent
who have their respective territc
ries to supervise.
Mr. J. M. Jenkins, state agent fo
South Carolina, was in the city ye
terday to consult with Mr. L. C
Chappell of Lykesland, who is th
sub-agent for this county. The of
jeet of the visit of Mr. Jenkins i
to get the farmers interested in th
work and to have them prepare th
land for the purposes of the experi
ments that are to be tried in th
spring. The work that is to be don
is not exactly an experiment, hov
ever, for the real experimentin
was done in Washington uder th
supervision of the experts of the d
partment of agriculture and tha
which was there accomplished wi]
be put into actual test on the lan
of the farmers who will agree to se
aside an acre or so of their land fc
the purpose. Thus far Mr. Jenkin
has met with nothing except encou
agement from the farnrers and a
of them are anxious to cooperat
with "hin -sad the department whic
he represents.
The counties that the agent is au
pervising in this -sate are as foi
lows: GreenvilNe, Anderson, Lam
ens, Richland, Chester, Fairfieli
Newberry and Union. Already sul
agents have been appointed in th
counties of Richland, Anderson an
Fairfield and the work is well nnde
way in these counties. In order tht
-the public may understand the vaJ
ious terms used in connection wit
the work the.- officers are here es
plained:.
A field agent is a special agent c
the United States' deparVmenit o
agieulture who superin'tends "th
farmers cooperative demonstre
tion work'' in a certain distriec
This is the position- that Mr. Jer
kins holds..
A demonstrator is a practice
farmer. who works a portion of hi
farm under the supervision of
field agent. which tract he is expeec
ed to inspect at least once a mont
40nd to report on same to the fiel
agent, so that the latter may be kei
post-ed on the progress of the wor
and the suecess of the undertakin
and may give others the benefit c
the work by publication.
A cooperator is- a farmer wh
azrrees to follow the instructions c
the department, and to. make the re
port sof progress at the end of tb
season.
The field agent -is expected to visi
as many centres of influence in h:
district as possible, and by persons
effort secure the cooperation (
bankers, merchants and farmers i
this cooperative work; also alway
interest the editor of the local p:
per. Second, establish neaf thes
centres the speciall demonstratio
farms. then secure cooperator
Small, thrifty and energetic farmei
will generally do better as specie
demonstrators. Large farmers has
too much business to give the wor
*the requisite attention. The age;
must use judgment,in selecting e<
operators and secure men who wi
follow instructio'ns and report.
Plan of Work.
The general plan of the work the
will be done is outilined in a bulleti
gotten ont under the direction of D
S. A. Knapp, who is directing ti
work from Lake St. Charles, La. TI
plan of the work is about as follow:
The object of the farmers' c<
perative demonstration work is n<
only to place a practical object les
' son, illustrating the best methods of
producing standard farm crops be- t
s fore the farm masses, but to secure t
their active participation in such de- c
monstrations. to an extent that will t
prove that the average farmer can <
do better work and will do it if pro
perly approached. These demonstra
t tions must show that better and lar
t ger rop3 ean be raised on the aver- I
1 age farm, and at vastly greater net
profit per. acre. Incidentally they I
are designed to prove that there is no
a necessity for this widespread deter- <
a ioration of the farms and the general 1
t poverty of the masses on the farms. i
Like all greatrreforms, this demon- i
stration work can not be done for
a th'e people to be benefited, but it;
mnst be done by them to be effective. i
s The sick man must take the proper
medicine to effect a cure; it will -not <
do for his neighbor to take it for
r him.
The remedy for the farmers that 1
. is.. recommended by the department
e embraces the following:
Better tillage of the soil .
a Rotation of crops and soil renova
e tion by the use of legumes and win
e ter cover crops (oats, wheat, etc.).
The judicious use of commercial
e fertilizer.
e Greater care in selecting and
planting seed.
g The use of more horse power and
e better machinery.
The raising of more and better
t stock.
l Keeping an account of the cost of
d farm operations.
r To this end the farmers' coopera
s tive demonstration work has been in
augurated. One feature of this
1 work should be especially noted. The
e farmers in some of the states have
a thought that the work was done .n
der inst%etions from Washington
and by persons who did not under
.stand the soil of the,partien ar-state
whose farmers were trying the meth
ods of the department.. This is not
correct, for. as a matter of fact, the
e agents in the various districts have
studied the soil of the state in which
r they are working.
It *r. Jenkins, the agent for the
South Carolina district, is a native
of this state and graduated at Clem
son college, and therefore is well
versed in the soil of, his native
state. He is thus able to give the
farmers the best possible work bas
ed on his observations of the soil
from this state at the capital and
also from actual experience here.
The two crops what will receive the
-attentiop pf the agent in the coun
ties mentioned will be cobton and
Icorn, for these 4th'e real -erop3s of
s the state of Soi Carolina. The
a headquarters of Mr. Jenkins will be
a in Laurens and from this point he
h will conduct the experiments.
The Demonstrations.
>t According to the plans .of the de
k partment there will be about 1)30
g demonstrators in each county where
fthe experiments are to be conducted.
The farmers will be asked to lay
aside one acre or more of their farm
f for the purpose of the demonstrationI
- work. The demonstrators will act
e under the sub-agents, who are a p-I
pointed by the agent of the district.'
Lt Sub-agents have been appointed al
ready in the counties of Anderson,
Li Ctester and IRichland, and in the
f counties of Union, Chester and Fair
n feld the work has already been comn
s mnced..
- For the work as indicated above
C the agent locates the best farms
n that he can get to have on them the
. necessary -one aere or more allow
-s ance and on these the demonstra
l tions are carried on. It is generally
econsidered that the size of the farm.
k makes no difference if the owner
t can give superivision to the work un
- der direction of the demonstrator.
11 The department also recognizes the
taet that it will be best for the more
staple crops, such a-3 corn and cot-*
tt ton, to be made the basis of their,
n operations. Corn and cotton a're the'
r. money crops and when the farmers
eare shown how to improve these
e e rops the greatest work of the de
;: partment will have been accompli=h
)t j 'n b ithe ida of the depart
nent in sending out tile agents to
nstruet the farmers is to give them
he bhenetit of the compilations of all I
he experiments made upon a given
'rop by the experiment stations and
,o put these experiments to the test
>n the land of the farmers in the
,tate. C
Preparation of Soil. i
Before the experiments are actual- r
y put into force the soil has to be .n
)repared uader direction of the de- I
)artment's agents. For this the I
farmer is instructed by the agents x
)f the department also. The prepara- 1
:ion of the soil is to take place in the i
ali so that the land will be ready e
or the work in the spring. The I
>C.wing done in the early fall and 1
inter cultivation is for
;he purpose of doing for the soil I
hat the colder climate of the north
loes for its land-opens it sufficient- -1
y to admit the air.
The bulletin of Dr. Knapp gives E
:he following advice along this line f
ind this will be read with interest '
yy the farmers throughout the state:
'In the richest soils there is but lit
:le food ready prepared for 'the
>lant, and nature's plan is that this f
food shall be prepared more or less
laily by the action of the air, the
noisture in the soils and by the sun.
hese three active forces make ready (
tie food so the plant can be properly E
iourished. This can not be done
vithout piowing and cultivating to E
idmit the air, and the earlier this 1
vorJr is commenced in the fall tha
treater the effect' it will have upon
;he crop of the following season.
"The effect of using good seed is ]
2ot sufficiently appreciated, nor per- i
1aps is it understood just what I
nakes good seed. It must be the 1
)est variety, carefully selected, ear
ly in the fall and stored in a dry
>lace. In passing through -the. stae (
s we. find very litt-le of the corn fit
or seed, because the rain has water-1
woaked the cob and injured . the
erms. In many cases it has even I
maused decay in a portion of the
eernel. This could have been pre- 1
vented had the seed corij been gath
ared in August or September. Our
reasoas for very frequent cultiva
tion has been explained above, to
wit: The admission of air, the con
ervation of moisture in the soil and
the prevention of surface crust. The'
Farmer may say that this frequent
ultivation is so much work for noth
lag, but he will find, in ease of cot
ton, in the fall, that his plants have
ruied closer 'to the ground and
have put on a good many more ear
ly bolls than they would have done
bad he pursued the ordinary meth
ds; and corn will set more ears."
The bulietin gives other valuable
advice to the farmers along the line
if the applying of fertilizers and
what should be done under 'boll wee
vi conditions. The department and
its agents are very much pleased with
the result of the work thus far. Mr.
Jenkins stated yesterday that he had
m~et with words of eneourageruent
From every farmer he had visited and
all were ready to cooperate with him.I
He believes that the work of the
Farmers' Cooperative demonstration
wil.l accomplish much for the far
mers in this state and it will be
largely through threir own efforts al-.
Oscar IL king of Sweden, died on
Sunday morning.
Times Had Changed.
"Did you and pa start with plenty'
>f money?'' asked the daughter.
"We lived upon very little else
but love, dear!'' was the mot.her's
entle answer.
"But I suppose pa soon got lots
of salary?''
"No; dear; it was a great struggle
at first.''
"'Then how did von manage? Pal
bad a little in the bank?''I
"Not a farthing.''
"Oh, my George is in just the
ane posi'ion, and we love each oth
3.and-."
"If that penni!lss adventurer ever
dares to enter this house again I will
tell him what I think of him! Go to
AWFUL MINE DISASTER.'
)readful Black Damp Kills Nearly 1
Four Hundred Coal Min
ers.
1Monongah. W. V., Dec. 6.-Six '(
harred and blackened bodies lying
n the improvised morgue prepared g
Lear the entrance to the mine, five 1
nen hovering between life and death s
'rom the awful bruises sustained and t
he deadly gases inhaled in a tem- r
>orary hospital into which one of I
'he company buildings has been e
ransformed, and 369 men imprison- t
d by tons of coal, rock and mine de- c
ris in the depths of the hills sur- t
ounding this mining town, with the t
-hances all against a single one of
hem being alive, is tne most aecur- k
Lte summary obtainable tonight of '
he result of a mine explosion today, e
rhich in all probability was attend- f
d by greater loss of life than any t
ormer disaster in the history of the
itumincus coal mining industry of
tmerica. I
The explosion occurred shortly af- 3
er 10 o'clock today, after the full '
orce of 380 men had gone to work a
n the two mines affected. The
nines are Nos. 6 and 8 of the Con- 2
olidation Coal company, located on I
>pposite sides of the West Fork riv
r, at this place, but merged in their
inderground workings by a heading c
Lnd on the surface by a great steel I
ipple aid bridge.
Six Bodies Found. t
The finding of the six corpses and
he five badly injured men is the on
y reward for strenuous and uninter
-upted work on the part of the large
-escuing forces that immediately 'set
o work at every possi'ble point.
The five living men are unable to
#ve any detailed report of the disas
;err or. to even explain how they .
'aehed the surface. They- state.. that
aet of them when they begatheir
rantic struggle for liberty there waS"
L large number of' men engaged in a
;imilar struggle, while still further ]
ack in the workings there was a
arge number, of whom they know ,
1othing.
It, is the opinion of the mine offi
'ials and others familiar with mininn
hat these 11 men had not penetrated
:he mine as far as had the majority
f the day shift when the explosion
>eurred and that they headed for
~nd reached the main entrance be
ore the heavy eave-in that now
lockades the entrance not more
:han a few hundred feet beyond the
ain opening of mine No. 6. '
All Caught in Cave-in.
As to the miners referred to by
:he rescued men as having been alive 1
vhen last seen, it is believed that
they were caught back of a heavy
save-in of coa:1 and mine roof and
hat 'they could not have survived I
nore than a few minutes in the dead
y gases with which the en'try filled
as soon as the ventilating system i
vas interrupted. There is more hope1
or those in more remote sections of I
:he mine, a3 they 'may have reached 1
vorkings where fresh air is suppliedI
ay other openings. But at best only
bhe most slender hope is entertained
Er the survival of any one of the I
neni in the mine un'til the debris can '1
ye cleared away and communication
svith the outside reesta:blished..
'There is much speculation as to;
ihe cause of the explosion, but the i
nost generally accepted theory is 1
:hat it resulted from black damp. Iti
s believed -that a miner attempted v
:0 set off a blast which blew out and
.2inited an accumulation of this I
leadly gas and that this in- turn
nited t:he coal dust. a highly in
'lammable anbstance found in great
r or less quantities in all West Vir-!9
rinia mines. However, all explana- I
:ions of the eause up to this time are '
eessarily speculative.
Big Price for Bull Dog.
hiladephia Press.
Miss TInes Elizabeth Sc.haeffer, of
Termantown, who already owns three
ulldogs valued at .$10,000, added to
er collection yesterday Champion i
Mahomet, imported last yea rby R.
obban. The price paid Mr. Lobban
by Miss .Schaeffer was said to be
C., N. & L. ROAD.
Lnnual ]Medting-4Cyompany's $500,
000 Stock is Held by 123
Persons.
'olumbia Record.
There is in progress today at th
eneral offices in the Bank of Cc
imbia, the annual meeting of th
toekholders of the Columbia, New
erry and Laurens railroad.. At th
1eeting for 1906, held on Octobe
6th, the number of the stoekhl
rs was only 123, and this is abou
he number reprdsen,ted, in perso
,r by proxy, today. The capitaliz2
ion is $500,000-S0,000 shares c
he par value of $25 each.
.It is believed that the preset
oard of directors will be re-electei
rith the 'exception that a vacane
aused by death will leave to b
lled, and that the direetors wi'
hen reelect the present officers.
The directors are:
W. G. Childs. W. A. Clark, W. I
yles, James Woodrow (died thi
'ear); H. C. Moseley (Prosperity:
4. A. Carlisle (Newberry), E. S
ohn, (Portsmouth), J. S. William
Richmond), H. Walter, (New York
R. Kenley, (Wilmington), W. C
lliott, (Wilmington).
The officers:
W. G. Childs, president, chairma
f the board and general managex
I. C. Moseley, Prosperity, vice pre,
dent; T. H. Gibbes, secretary an
reasurer; W. H. Lyles, . generf
ounsel; S. W. Paraham, auditor
Oexander Rowland, auditor of 4i'
ursements; R. A. Brand, traff
aanager; W. J. Craig, general pa:
enger agent.
The total east of the board, equil
aents and permanent improvemeai
as been $1600,206. The road I
'ery prosperous, tho.ugh burdene
rith a bond. mortgage of $12.000 pI
niles. The length of the line is 7
ailes.
EBV. DE. G HETIBEW I
Teiierable Preacher of the Sout
Carolina Conference Sustained
. a Fall and Fracture.
Thousands of friends in Sout
arolina will be pained to learn <
he serious illness of the venerable i
J.. Chreitzberg, the oldest member<
he South Carolina conference, an
erhaps the oldest preacher in ti
tate.
Dr. Ohreitzberg stepped from ti
ottom step of the stairs at his hon
m Hampton avenue Thursday nigi
Lnd received serio1p injuries on h
-ight hip and lefst shoulder. A cari
ul examination by consulting phys
~ians yesterday resulted. in the ai
iouncement . that there had been
~raeture of the hip bone.
This will be a very s'erious matte
or Dr. Chreitzberg, as he is vez
nuh advanced in yearm And it wi
nean a.lingering illness, even shoul
ie survive. the shoek of setting 11
roken member.
On the 17th of this month D
hreitzberg will be 8T~ years of ag
td all but 19 of the years of tha
ona career have been given to ti
ninistry of the Methodist .churc
Lnd to .the vigorous, forceful, an
uccessful preaching of the Worn
or 53 years he had an active coi
ection 'with the conference, havi:1
een placed on the superannuata
elation in 1892. He has twice rei
esented the South Carolina confe
ee in the general conferences c
878 and 1886 and has written
mrber of pamphlets whieh are ri
carded as a part of the best liters
ure of the South Carolinia confe:
ee. Amnong other publicatiot
'rom his pen is a history of the cor
'erence.
A Turkey Shoemaker.
'Well." remarked Archie, as I
ane in from the farm-yard, ''yo
olks won't have to eat barefoot tu:
es this year.''
'What do you mean?'' asked h:
nother.
The budding humorist grinned gel
rously.
'I just shoo'd them,'' he replie<
-Jude.
THE NEWS OF PGtma.
- The Old Hen Dies Peacefully After
28 Years-Pleasant Bater
tainment.
Pomaria, Decenber 9.-An enter
e tainment was given Friday night in
- the Bethel school house by some of
e the boys of Prosperity. A fairly
good crowd was present, and the
e show is spoken of as having been
r very creditable.
Mr. John Suliivan, of Honea
,t Path, spent several days very pleas
a antly here this last week. It is re
ported that some of the young men'
f of Pomaria are not so anxious for
him to return. -
,t A large congregaticn was present
I, at Bethl4hem church yesterday to
y hear an excellent sermon by the pas
e tor, Rev. J. J. Long.
1 The frequent rains recently have
interfered seriously with the sowing
of oats. Some of the farmers in this
[ community had just begun to sow
a when -the rainy weather commenced,
, and if the rains continuey further
t. sowing will, have to be postponed un
-, til spring.
P Pomaria can no longer boast of the
-. oldest hen in the state. Mr. W. Q
Hipp, of this place, had a hen to die
on Thanksgiving, day, that was in her
a 28th year. While it seems incredi
ble that a hen should live to this ,
d age, yet there can' be no question of
a the fact in this case, for it is vouchy
ed for by Mr. Hipp himself in whose r
possession the hen has been all the
time. An even more remarkable fact
C is that she continued to lay up to
' the very last year of her life, hav
ing laid five or six eggs last spring.
It may not be out of place to statO
s that' in spite of the suspicious day
of her demise-especially suspicious
d whaN w reea1L ho-am-tan
givig- turkeys= were-ehe d net
1. meet a vioient" des.i
down .peseef#g.having sue
esfully eseapektiL , the pearlens
viisstudeson qur.etcoferew as
1t\it7 it iiS. O , ". "' .h5
summer picnies, and ' the like," td
which her trihe is heir.
A Valuable ReversaLT
There is a young artist in Wash
h ington who classes himself as of the
fimpressionistic school, and who, be
- ing somewhat out in drawing, gen.
f erally nmakes up for his lack of tech
d nique by spreading' color repklessly
e and counting on distance for his ef
feet.
e At an amateur. exhibition he once
IC hung one of his most extraordinary
t performances. '
s I"W.ell, '.' said a friend, whom the
Sartist had taken to see the work, "I
i doi't went to flat:ter you, old chap,
- but that is far and away the best
a stuff you have ever dne. I congra- .
tulate you.
ir Mueh .pleased, the artist was re
Y e eiving the co>mpliments with becom
1l ing modesty, when he chanced again
Sto zlance at the picture-and turned
t Ivery red. The committee had hang
it upside down!
r. Hurrying to the head of the corn
C, m ittee, he was about to launch into
Lt a loud complaint, when he was in
tformed of the gog news that an
h hour before the picture had been
d sold for $61. The original prie/
I. mark had been $19.--Lippinicott 's.
g On the campus at Stanford univer
d sity the score of fraternity houses
Iare clean ng up and preparing for
-the social receptions and luncheons
'f to be given to visitors on the day of
a the big football game. A man got
-the contract to paint the Deke house
- white with the understanding that,
'- the job must be done and dried long
s beoeNov. 9.
t-After making a rush start, the
painter asked permission to hang out
his sign. His reque.st was granted,
and he put up a conspicuous an
e noneement over the front poren:
u"These premises being painted by
- hmk Blank."
Then the work dragged. He came
s one day and stayed away two. So
the impatient collegians added to the
- sign neat lettering until the perman
ent annoneement read: "These pre
I. mses being painted by Blank Blank.
w and then'