The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-03-12
FARMERS ASSOCIATION OF ANTWERP
AND PAW PAW.

hhMEho AoOOOldllON Or ANN
AND PAW PAW.
The fourth meeting of this organization con-
vened at the home of Hon. j. j. Woodman, on
the 4th inst. Nearly all the members were
present. The commodous barn-yard OF Mr..
Weodman was we'll filed with vehicles, the
stables with teams, and his parlors with people.
The assembling OF these farmers and their
wives was not merely for complimentary
visit-the partaking OF the good cheer of their
host, but to view the premises OF Mr. Wood
man, including the arrangement for stabling
and feeding stock and the stock itself, and to
further discuss the question Of the previous
meeting in December, VIZ, Feeding, care and
management OF stock in winter with such les
sons on the subject as the experience OF the
winter may have taught.
The company, led by Mr.. Woodman, first in
spected the courthouse and piggery combined
The front part for storing and shelllng corn,
and the back part having row of pens on each
side Of an alley, in which is dnve we'll and
u
spout to each of the pens Mr.. woodman has
at present sixty hogs, including shotes and
breeding sows. They are OF the Berkshire and
Essex breed, and show good care and breeding.
He next showed us a yard OF seventy-two lambs
all strong and all after one pattern. The SUI
periority of Michigan wool is maintained by the
breeding OF such lambs as these. Mr.. Wood
man is feeding eighteen steers, mostly three
years old. They are kept in stables of six each
snd fed cut stalks, straw, and two quarts OF
meal and three quarts Of bran each, three times
day. These steers are weighed every fifty
days and record kept OF the weight OF each
pair. The first fifty days the gain was exactly
two pounds each per day. the second fifty, a
little over one and one-half pounds per day
each. The stalks are cut with large power
cutter made by Silver 81 Deming, OF Salem,
Ohio. This is done by horsepower, and the
floor full. The stalks are fed dry and the meal
and bran dry; the straw is not cut. His yard
for the flock OF breeding ewes is we'll arranged
with commodous shed and racks In the yard.
in which we saw plenty OF the best clover hay
which is reserved for this flock. There are al
present 125, looking exceedingly WELL The
stock Of cows and young cattle are in keeping
with the other animals, and have strong mix
ture of shorthorn blood Mr.. Woodman is
breeding some or the Norman horses and has
some OF the colts, which are quite promising.
Mr. Woodman culls his flock Of sheep each fall
and old breeding ewes and poor shearers are
placed in yard by themselves and fed for the
market, and his three year old weathers in an
other yard. His fat weathers are very fine and
credit to any feeder. The weighing room,
store room for mill feed, and carriage room are
all under one roof in connection with the large
barn. In il are set OF Jones' five-ton scales.
and here the whole company, ladies' and gen.
tlemen, gathered at the end OF the circuit OF the
buildings to be weighed. Thirteen gentlemen
weighed 1922, or an average OF III pounds
thirteen ladies weighed ,722, an average OF 1872
the four largest, two ladies' and two gentlemen,
including our best, weighed $40; the four small
est, 45S pounds, an aggregate OF nearly two
tone.
Soon after repairing to the house, dinner was
announced, and all were seated in the large
dining-room and sumptuously entertained.
The rules Of the Association restrict the num-
Der OF dishes in the bill Of fare, and there was
some talk Of imposing fine on our hostess for
exceeding the rule,
After the dinner hour had passed, the Presi-
dent called to order and announced the topic. !