Connecticut western news., 1884-12-24
The Farmers' Convention at Meriden

available much of interest must b,
 omitted and there will be danger tha
 an attempt at condensation will make i
 impossible to give correct impression of the spirit of the meeting
 Over POO farmers from all sections O the state were ill attendance, and, unlik, the delegation from this town, grey heads predominated in the number. I some felt that they were too old to learr st.il they took pleasure 1n relating theil experiences and were glad to deal out chunks of wisdom to the younger men
 The convention was made up, not 6 kid glove farmers, but of practical men
 whose life work has been and is the sue cessful tilliag of Connecticut soil ant whose testimony proved that that soi can be successfully titled. This testi mony came not only from Greens Farms, the Garden of the State, 'wher, land for farming purposes commands $500 per acre, but also from hilly Go- shen, where MT Kimberly said he had worked out au affirmative answer to the question, "Can young man afford to run in debt for farm ?"
 One of the most successful farmers present, one who has keen eye to bus mess and still believes in giving big measure, and yet don't work so hard that he can't enjoy life, was MT Cables of Thomaston, who keeps IF cows and four horses on 40 acres, bought over $500 worth of commercial fertilizers this year and gets from $2000 to $4000 year for his reward.
 Prof Northrop attempted to answer the question, "How can we promote an interest in Forestry ?" He showed how important to the health and prosperity of the community are forest lands, and urged the economy of setting otherwise valueless lands to forest trees, particu- larly the hard woods. which are becom- ing scarce. Lands that are now grow ing up to forests can be vastly increas- ed in value by a little malicious man agement. The convention adopted a resolution calling upon the legislature to appoint an "arbor day." such as Is observed in other states, on which the school children set out trees.
 Prof l. N. Chamberlain of the Storrs schoo! showed up Thorough Farm ing, " as opposed to that slipshod and sloveHly method or lack of method, that IS indicated by run out fields and incohvenient and uncomfortable build ings. Thoroughness is the corner stone of success and still it is more easy to say in what thoroughness does not than in what 1t does consist. Ignorance, if there is wealth behind 1t, can bring land into high culture, but the largest crop on the best acre can be wasted in con- sumption or sale. A finely equipped farm with everything in apparent order is not always an evidence of thorough ness, for there must be definiteness in plan and execution; next seasons plan must be made nOao, so clearly that we can see the picture of their future un- folding. One essential to thorough ness Is economy, not stinginess that re- volts at all outlay, but an accuracy of judgment that makes every outlay tell Nature, bountiful to prodigality ill all her works, is economical. Buildings, both for man and beast, should be To- cated and constructed with an eye to economy of labor and the comfort of the occupants. True success lies deeper than men blow and is not always indicated by the bank account. The general sentiment seem- ed to be that there should be no manure heap for New England farmers, but that there was the least waste and most econ- omy of labor in hauling and spreading the manure as fast as it accumu- lates.
 Prof Atwater on the "Chemistry of Foods," exhibited some interesting charts showing the comparative nutri- tive values of different edibles. He thought we paid more respect to our palate than to our purses in the matter of eating. A pound of beef, 8 quart of milk, quart of oysters and pound of salmon contain about the same amount of nutrients. Dessicated codfsh, which contains 75 per cent of nutrients, is the most concentrated food the professor has ever seen. Considered from a nu- tritive standpoint, vegetable foods are much cheaper than animal. We often pay nine-tenths for nutriment and one- tenth for taste.
 Samuel Stone talked about Cruelty to the horse, relative to the care and treatment of his feet" and not only ev- cry blacksmith, but every farmer would do well to read his paper. The horse knows not only his crib, but what kind of a Christian his master is. The shoe is needed only to prevent unnatural wear on the outer r1m. A shoe suitable for one horse may not be for another, any more than one kind of boot is adapted to all men. Much road work can be done without shoes. The foot makes but little growth during winter and the usual method of winter calking, involving frequent cutting, rasping, mailing and burning is injurious and ex- pensive. A shoe into which can be screwed without removal, self sharpen ing calks, Is advocated. The frog is the natural cushion on which the bone of the foot is supported, and high calks defeat the plan of nature. A frequent applica- ton of water about the coronet pro notes an even and healthy growth of