Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-04-23
Farm representation BY the
Oranges.

1hat the Grange has resulted iii
great advantage to the farming COM
munity, is past all question. That
the entire programme Of its legitimate
exercises, when properly carried out,
its fruitful Of good, stands among the
proven facts. But every instrument
OF good, when perverted, becomes,
to an equal extent, an instrument OF
evil. Let the Grange once depart
from the purpose assigned it and
give itself over to the advancement
Of any aspirant for place or pclf-let
it once leave the domain of progress
in the farm and tircsidc, to go into
the business of political wool-g gather
ing, and the fate Of Belshazzar shall
be written by the finger of destiny,
upon its walls. Indeed, it needs no
prophet to read the writing or to
forctell the dircful end; Tor not few
oranges that abandoned the greater
problems which the order is working
out and launched their banks on the
maelstrom Of politics, have already
sunk beneath its scething waters and
will rise no more.
To incre:ise the intelligence, to
diminish drudgcrles, to refine the
social life, and better the condition
of the farmer and his family, are the
benign purposes which the order
was organized to accomplish, and,
certainly, IL marked advancement in
these vital interests, has been made
by the patrons who have pursued
them with an exclusive earnestness.
a most profitable feature in the en-
crcises Of the winter meetings, is the
discussion Of topics that relate to the
farm management. The question as
to the bert breeds of cattle for butter
or beef; the breeding and feeding OF
swine; the best processes and meth
DDS i'll butter making; the cheapest
and most effective tenses-these and
many others are questions ON which
the farmers need more light and bet
ter practice. But we have thought
that, on such topics, the discussions
Of the winter, might, with great adj
vantage, be supplemented by expert
ments on the farm in summer. Such
experiments might be proposed by
the grange to its members. rs would
involve no great outlay either i'll time
or money and the methods of con
due ing them, might be reduced to Il
carefully considered written state
ment. For example, what variety of
bects yield the largest crop under Il
given cultivation? might be answer
cd by several farmers who could
each make trial of special variety.
What are the comparative effects of
early narrowing and stirring with Il
cuItivator in the raising Of corn?
might be answered by trial on both
on contiguous belts. Whether plas-
ter stimulates the growth Of grass and
clover on the soils of Iowa? might
be tested by its use and non use on
parallel strips with careful noting of
results. What crosses of swine
would, at nine months old, attain the /
creates: weight under careful feeding:
is a most important question which |
might be tried by several volunteers
who should experiment on different
cross.
These are onlya few samples Of
the numerous intcrrogations which
the farm might thus be made to an
swcr and we barely hint at the posi-
bic good which could be done in this
by division Of labor con-
Quoted under careful instruction.
What say the granges?-R,ugressice
F,trn.er.