The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-12-30
AGRICULTURAL MEETING.
The members of the Legislature and oil


The members of the Legislature and other
gentlemen interested in Agriculture, met on
Wednesday evening at the Capitol.
The meeting was called to order by DR..
Watson, of the Senate.
Col. John H. Stevens, of Glencoe, was
called to the chair, and DR.. Watson and B.
F. LangworthY, of the House, were elected
Secretaries.
On motion of Jared Benson, Of Anoka,
the above were declared to be the permanent
officers of the agricultural and Mechanics
Club of the Legislature of Minnesota"
Col. Robertson, of Ramsey county, was
called npon to explain the objects of the
Club, as he was the first to suggest its form
alton. He briefly adverted to the important
objects to be attained by its organization, in
eliciting information upon Agriculture-the
foundation of all wealth. He considered
Minnesota to be the finest region in the
world, and that the fact should be made
known-that we wished to know exactly
what the soil would produce-that we had
met to learn this, and other facts relating to
the most important of our material inter-
ests. He did not propose to have any con-
stitution or by-laws-nothing but good will.
He would allow any one to start subject
in which he was interested, or upon which
he desired information-let it be the culture
of tobacco, stock raising, bees, or anything
else. He would have this Club take for its
model the Farmers Club of New York,
which meets every week in Albany, during
the sessions of the Legislature. He thought
that all would derive great deal of good
from it, and that it would greatly advance
the interests of Minnesota.
Mr.. Benson thought it best to have some
system in the discussion of subjects-and
suggested that ploughing to be the subject
to be considered this evening.
MIR Wells. of Fillmore county, was graft
fed in being present at this starting point,
this congratulatory meeting, and thought
that all would be wiser and better for the
discussions which would take place. He
desired to receive information of the differ
ent systems of cultivation in different parts
of the State. He was enamored of Mime
sofa, and compared her beautiful plains
with the rugged mountains of the East, and
felt that it was "good to be here"
Mr.. Abraham, of Hennepin, was gratified
in being present at the organization of the
Club. He felt pride in the "Star of the
North" and in the fact that she would have
this year hundreds of bushels of the "staff Of
life" for export. He got his living by farm
ing, and desired to elevate the profession of
the farmer. He had spent twenty years of
his life on a farm in Pennsylvania, and
often said to himself, "What fool [ have
been to work that length of time in Penn
sylvania, not knowing that there was a
better country" He considered that Min
nesota would be the finest wool. growing
State in the Union-and although not ex-
celled by any as a wheat.growing State,
that there would be more profit in raising
wool and stock. We must stock the vast
country to the northwest of US, including
the country occupied by the Hudson Bay
Company.
Mr.. Ford, of st. Paul. proposed as the
particular subject for discussion, whether
the average yield of spring wheat in the
State would exceed twenty-five bushels to
the acre? He had taken samples of Min
nesota wheat to the U. S. Agricultural
Fair lately held at Chicago, and had told
the officers there that the yield would be
twenty-five bushels per acre. Since his
return he had doubted whether the average
would reach that amount, which was from
eight to ten more than Illinois and Iowa.
The average there was eleven or twelve.
He thought an average of twenty-five
bushels here would be high enough, as it
was one hundred per cent. more than the
average in either of the above States.
The President extended an invitation to
all present, from any part of the State, to
participate in the discussions, and subse-
quently motion was made and adopted to
the same effect.
Mr.. Kennedy, of Houston county, said he
felt great interest in the discussion, and was
willing to impart any information he pos
sessed in regard to Houston county, which
he thought "was the finest county in the
State" and could not be exceled by any in
wheat-raising. AS high as sixty bushels
had been raised on an acre, but he thought
the average would be about twenty-five
bushels. MIR. Martin Younglove was the
gentleman who had raised sixty bushels to
the acre. MIR. K. had raised sixty bushels
of oats to the acre, had helped to thrash
them out, and in order to be sure, had meas
ured the ground on Sunday! Houston
county had fair every year, and the TO-,
crease in productions of the soil this year
was about sixty per cent.
J Mr.. Shrewsbury, of Hennepin county
Mad failed in his winter wheat on account
of rust, although the soil was of unsurpassed
richness. Spring wheat had done very
well. He asked Mr.. Kennedy, of Houston,
what time he sowed his winter wheat?
Mr.. Kennedy replied about the first of
September; in oak openings on grubbed
land.
Mr. Clark Thompson, of Houston, con-
firmed the account of the large yield of
wheat in that county.
Mr.. Shrewsbury, of Hennepin, stated
that his soil was black loan, clay sub soil,
with little sand. He sowed from the
first of September to the tenth Of October,
and the yield had not been over sixteen
bushels to the acre. Spring wheat yielded
from fifteen to twenty-five bushels. 1t was
fine looking, and grew as high as bis chin,
but it rusted badly.
Mr.. Langworthy, of Mower, stated that
he sowed sixteen bushels of Scotch Fife "
wheat which yielded twenty-five bushels to
the acre, and weighed sixty pounds to the
bushel. There was a clay sub-soil, mixed