The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-12-22


GERS ia doubtless the experience OF oil. AT
each recurring annual meeting OF your d.
rectors, new rules have been adopted and new
premiums have been offered to meet the exi-
gency OF q certain case, or TO please the ca
price OF some OF your members, and IN the
effort to shun the recks Of Scylla, you have
run aground on the shoals OF Charybdis. Your
efforts thus far have doubtless been series OF
experiments with tho best OF intenuons. but
your failures have been very audibly con-
demned, and your success very family com,
mended. l assume that no certain, sure ,oau
to success in every case, has been FOUND by
any OF the boards here represented out IN
certain instances of your labors, you have I'M
discovered the golden mean OF sue
cess which you would very gladly excpan6e LOT
another golden mean to which you have not
vet attained. The range OF facts III my expe-
tempt 10 specify. IL is hoped your delibera-
tions will cover the cases more particularly an
moving. aud that satisfactory solution or the
difficulties viii be offered.
Gentlemen, you are in certain degree tho
canadians of the future prosperity OF the ag-
rT,c,ItuIo of YOUR State. The range of pre-
milrns YOU offer is the measure OF your en-
Ii0htenment as TO the needs OF your members.
Tho basis of prosperity may be laid In COM
petipg for premium judclously offered.
The rrize itself is comparatively nothing.
THE habits OF care and thoroughness which &C
~
should bein a measure educational You offer
preIniums for improved breeds of cattle, of
horses and Of sheep. You should also strive
IN every premium you offer to improve the
breed or farmers; to excite in them not only
an emulation for successful competition, but
an emulation to become better farmers.
Farmers do not spend thought enough upon
their business. They often fail to do what
they know is best, because custom has made
EASY what has become babitual. Wheat is
raised for example, as staple crop, but the
actual cost Of this production per bushel, is as
little known and enters as little into the calcu-
laton of the average farmer, as the interest
of the farmer enters into the thought OF the
average Congressman.
AS / have minated, the agricultural fair
should become the primary school OF agticul-
ture. from the beginning we are learners, by
copying the experience OF others. As well
imagine an architect becoming skillful without
consulting models, or student or medicine
becoming all eminent physician by starting an
apothecary shop as farmer to succeed with
out either acquired or copied experience. A
we'll conducted fair is but an enlarged system
OF object lessons as taught In our primary
schools-the palpable evidences OF skillful
farming premium offered for the largest
production Of corn, or other crop per acre,
grown at the least expense per bushel with a
sworn statement accompanying, showing man
ner of cultivation, kind and quantity OF ma
nure, depth of blowing, previous condition OF
soil ETC., would tend more to the eniighten-
ment OF the average farmer than all the
speed premiums ever offered.
The diversified agriculture Of our State,
producing as it does nearly all the cereals IN
their utmost perfection-fruit in unrlyalled
excellence. products OF the dairy and the
vegetable garden, exhibitions OF mechanical
skill, the multifarious forms OF beauty which
industrious and skillful fingers evolve from
balls of worsted and skeins of elk to beautlfy
and adorn our homes. These and many
others which your wisdom will suggest, afford
ample opportunity to encourage by your pre-
miums the industries which III o large measure
make us prosperous and enlightened people.
The questions involved in your several pre-
MUM lists and new ideas not generally prac-
ticed. will offer wide field for your considera-
ton in the limited time which you propose to
spend in tins convention. But l apprehend
there are other pertinent questions to con.
slider outside your premium lists which would
| be as interesting and equally as important 70
an enlightened agriculture.
The census report of Michigan for the year
1874 shows that or the 357,6S7 persons over
J twenty-one years Of age engaged In INDUSTRIAL
occupations. lag, 29S, or 81 OF the whole
number were farmers. No other single occu'
patton approaches this in number. No other
single occupation approaches It IN importance
The prosperity of the farmers is the finan.
cial bal ometer which indicates the Commercial
prosperity OF all the rest. deem it OF i'm
portance that this grand work OF our pros
perity be guarded and fostered by all the ap
pliances which Its need may suggest
The Department of Agriculture at Washing
ton sends out it's monthly report OF the condi
ton Of the growing crops and the percentage
of loss or gam over the average year. These
reports are very important means or infor
nation to the intelligent agriculturist Blu
the returns for our State are too meagre ant
often inaccurate. would suggest that W.
might have revision OF our law creating
State Board CT Agriculture and allow eaci
agricultural society to appoint one member o.
the Board and require that member to make
report of the condition OF growing crops
acreage above or below the ayerage-the pc
cent. of the domestic animals, above or below
the average number aad such other items a
the Board might determine. law somethip:
like the above has been enacted IN the State
OF Massachusetts,. Pennsylvania and Illinois
Section first Of the Massachusetts law read
as follows
The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, an
Secretary OF the Commonwealth, one persol
appointed from and by each Agricultural So
ciety which receives an annual bounty iron
the State, and three other persons, appointe'
by the Governor, with the advice OF the Coun
Gil, shall constitute theState Board OF Agrl
culture"
The Pennsylvania law is similar and pat
termed after il. 1t provides for meetn
once Ia each year, and rs much oftener as ma
be deemed expedent. II gives the Boar
power to prescribe forms for the reports o
the several members, but in my judgmen
lacks one essential feature to make the report
OF valuc-that OF providing for a census ono
, in FIVE years, to be taken by the Supervisors {
, the several townships. OF the number OF acre
, grown OF the several crops, and the number
the domestic aumas--as basis FOR computln
the average production. / need not argue IL
value OF such a report to the intelllger
farmers OF Michigan. 1t will need no arg
ment to commend it 10 business men ever
where. f.. F
have not attempted to elaborate the pia
Ihe time which | propose TO occupy would n
admit OF it. l think the occasion an appropi
ate one TO discuss Its merits. Indeed, 1 b
lieve the time s at hand when many chang
will occur III the interest OF agriculture.
importance will demand its SHARE OF pr
tectIve legislation. Even now it is our agl
culture that ia sustaining every other bran
OF business. The heavy shipments of o.
: products abroad are bringing their weekly r
4 turns OF gold. Every branch OF trade al
{ commerce feels the impetus thus given then
and all acknowledge 1t TO be the harbiDger
: the good time coming"
To the Churches and Generous Public:
At special meeting OF the Board Of Supe
visors Of Emmett county, called for the purpo
OF considering the best m cans to provide
Al. - ;,,