The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-03-07
aurituIturnl aa0 Dumsstit.
The Agricultural Convention at Jackson.

Mr. SANFORD liOHdIu " ID AILlO4uAfA anu
made an impromptu address, first abiding
80 the cause OF the calling Of the cOnven-
ton Agricultural societies III their meet
mos do not discuss questions, rs a general
thin, and now this convention oil all the
farmers il called for that purpose. The
NJ York State Agricultural Society have
q series of discussions at their semi-annual
meetinos. and these discussions do more to
nromOte the interests Of agriculture than
ANYTHING else that there can be done in the
State. lie was glad when he learned that \
this convention was called, and hoped 10
see much good arise from il. He then gave
a brief history Of the Agricultural Society
Of Scotland, beginning with the assembling .
together Of few men interested in agri- /
culture, and gradually growing to become |
a society Of the greatest weight and inhu- /
ence We are constantly introducing new /
crops into the State, which are becoming I
profitable agricultural products, and among
these is sorghum, which is now attracting
great attention among the farmers OF the
State. The rhuDarb plant was another new
crop. 50 far a. il is cultivated for The ma
king OF vine. lie did not however believe
the latter profitable crop aud said that
il did not possess the properties Of vine,
and that the acid procured from this plant
is very different from that Of Wine He
stated that farmers had suffered greatly by
being imposed upon by sheep peddlers, and
also bv seed peddlers-the latter Of whom
have circulated BrOmsts as a grass seed
which is nothing more than a deieteriOus
grass, known as chess, which mingles with
wheat when sOwn near il and totally de-
strOys the whole crop. He stated that
were the farmers In general at all acquaiut-
ed with botany they would know The nature
luded 10 the disastrous effects both 10 the
fruit and grain crop, and 10 the raising of
vegetables, from the ravages OF insects.
The canker.worm Il now doing great dam
age 10 the fruit crop especially % apple
trees The rayagcs OF these insects could
have been prevented had they been first
discovered by ahy one sufficiently acquaint-
ed with their habits. Mr.. Howard spoke OF
several cases he had recently met with,
where the canker-wOrm had destroyed
several orchards before they could be Grad
icated, or in fact before the nature
Of the insect had been known. He
said that we are threatened with another
and still more dangerous insect known a.
the new potato bug or Bristling Beetle lie
had not yet seen il himself lie said that IL
takes the opposite course OF other insects,
and instead OF travelling by the ordinary
route from the east 10 the west, 10 - ma
king its way from the west 10 the east. IL
was first discovered four or five years ago
at the Rocky Mountains and is now this
side OF the Mississippi river, and he soon
expected 10 hear Of IL in Indiana and South
ern Michigan. IL was the most dangerous
insect that has Yet appeared. He next
referred To the variety Of the climate Of
this State as adapted 10 the growth OF fruit
As far north as the Grand Traverse region
peaches are considered a sure crop every
year. especially along the lake shore and
for the past five or six years this delicious
crop has not failed once. Ii is now regard
ed as certain annual crop and every year
large quantities OF peaches are shipped TO
the Chicago market. lie thought Inquiries
should be made into the causes which led
to the successful cultivation OF this crop in
a latitude further north than has ever before
been known.
ADDRESS OF Hon. c. E. STUART, OF RALAHA-
zoo.
The President then introduced the Hon.
Chas. T.. Stuart, Of Kalamazoo, who stated
that 10 what he said he would cOntine HIM
self TO farming generally, and stock grow
ing especially. His mode of speaking at
agricultural meetings was one more instruc-
tive Than entertaining lie. Saif there
anu the other "A Kind of every day farmers
talk. He would follow the latter What
IL generally said and written about grain
growing Is said with reference TO n particu-
lar quality OF soil and would not be adapt-
ed 10 another and different kind All the
talk OF early sowing. what seed should be
sOwn, and how planted, ect. amounts 10
nothing unless the kind of sod Is taken into
consideration.
Stock growing is a kind OF farming which
needs an extraordinary amount of care. at
tention and thought. 10 be carried on sue
cessiuly. One of the greatest evils i'm our
stock growing community is the mixing
and mlngling OF breeds Of cattle together
Ii Il not so IN England, where they have a
very superior quality OF cattle There they
keep their breeds separate Mr.. Stuart
stated that certain gentleman had follow
ed this plan, and has given us q quality OF
shOrt-hOrnS. alter many years OF careful
breeding, which stands superior 10 all 9th
erS IN the country. Ii Is also the same with
horses a distinct breed of horses can only
De grown by keeping them separated In
England they have their horses bred and
trained for the turf the pillow. the cart. and
the road, eacn one best answering the pur-
pose Tor which he was designed. So in this
country We should cndeavor To raise dis
tinct breeds OF WnaIcNc f Nina we nes.tl Al
IS, then, necessary first 10 fix upon plan.
find our what kind OF horse Is needed. and
then carry out the plan necessary 10 obtain |
such breed.
So also with sheep. Ii Is lust Is nrcessa-
nv for the raising OF a superior Quality of /
sheep 10 keep each breed distinct nam I
another We are producing the Spanish 1
sheep for ITS wool. and We need 10 breed IL
so as TO obtain the largest amount and the
best quality Of wool. 10 is necessary. i'm
order 10 obtain a large amount Of Woo. TO
have weil-iormed and well-fashioned
sheep. The larger and better formed the
sheep, the more wool will he produce. II
adds to the appearance OF the sheen. and il
IS also desirable feature 10 have a larre
circumference around the neck. But when
TINS Is carried 10 too great an extent. when
the wrinkles are SO large frequently as 10
take several hours 10 shear i sheen il i
neither eXpedent, desirable nor profitable.
Inc great question 10 be settled Is how To
OBTAIN the greatest amount of wool and of
cleansed wool. The premiums offered M
lairs ON wool should be for the harvest
amount OF cleaHSed wool to each sheen
We have had experience in this country
winch we ought 10 profit by We have l
Wrought the Spanish sheep from foreign q
iAhu anu nave made him better than he
IS NAtNh ut WIS utNt introduced here. \
mild climate is best adapted to this kind of
sheep, and consequently they should be
housed much during the cold weather.
II Is also necessary TO keep them clean. c
Mr. Atwood has had the most successful
experience OF any sheep breeder i'm the
country with these sheep. Yet when he
first introduced these into this country they
sneared but Is pounds; now they shear
twice that amount, and OF good clean wool.
lie also alluded to The success which Mr.
Hammond, ofNermOnt. has had rs a sheep =
raiser, aud stated that he has had a plan OIL
breeding sheep, has directly followed that (
plan, and now has the finest sheen in the
Country winch yield an equal average
amount oil wool over the WHOLE body. .,
Mr. Stuart next adverted to the deception
which IS practieed among sheep-raisers
VINO rear sheep which to all appearance were
an excellent quality, aud valued at enor
nous prices, but which were in reality 81
worth little or nothing. He has seen rams :