Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-06-05
FARMERS INSTITUTE.
frot Jordan ON Commercial tcrtilIrets-Dr
Athertcn on Agricultural Education--
Dr, nicHiO's Address

Atherton on Agricultural Educstion--
Dr. bieHio's Address.
Wednesday afternoon tho institute was
called to order at half past o'clock,
DIR. Calder answered the question,
" Does grape culture pay ?" He said
that that depended on circumstances. 1t
sometime happens that wheat culture and
tobacco culture does not pay but indi
vidual instances do not prove that these
crops as whole are not profitable. 50
with grapes he makes 1900 year from
his i've acres of grapes. Farmers will
find 1t to their profit to grow more of them
than they now grow. Tho taste for
grapes, as for almost anything else, may
be cultured the appetite grows by what
| it feeds on. Some years ago tomatoes
| wero not in common use, and there are
| farmers who do rot even know what an
| asparagus bod is; and yot asparagus has be.
come one OF the most profitable vegetables
cultured. In answer to question Dr..
| Calder described his maucr of summer
pruning, which he always does with his
thumb aud finger and not with pruning
knife. He regarded as barbarOus tho
methods used by some horticulturists who
let their fruit trees run wild and then
ruin their orchards with axe and saw.
Commercial Fertilizers.
Prof. w. II. Jordan of tho State Col.
lege introduced and spoke on the ques-
tion of Commercial Fertilizers" Sue
oessml farming consists in good crops
everything elso such as farm ornamental
tions, farmers holidays, Nc, take second
place. Statistics provo that the average
cost of producing crops Ia greater than
the value of the crops produced. While
the successful farmer raises good crops
| fhpFp
loose money on every crop they raise. lt
would be better for tho average farmer,
who raises light crops to soil his farm,
put the money received for il at intorcs:
and hire himselfout by the month. The
| farmers capital consists OF two kinds
his farm which is his fixed capital,
and his machinery, implements, cattle, &c.,
which is his floating capital. \ fertile
soil is one that will grow plants of all va
rietes under proper conditions. a plant
consists of two parts-that which passes
| into tho atmosphere when the plant is
burned, which is called the organic part,
and that which remains behind, which Is
the mineral pant or ash. This ash contains
lime, magnesia, soda, potash, iron, sui
phuric and phosphoric acid. No oplant can
oc constructed without these Ingredients
| if nature, or the soil contains them the
them, but if any one of them is not ia the
soil then they must be put there by ar;ih
cial meaus. The important ingredients
which nature does not furnish are phos
| phoric acid and nItrogenOus material, and
| these must be furDiGhCd by artificial
means. IL would be his business in his
remarks on Thursday, 10 go more into
detail on the subject of icrtilizicrs.
| Agricultural EdupatIon
DR.. George w. Athcrton, president oI
the State Agricultural college, was intro.
duced, aud spoke on the subject OF agri.
cultural education, After paying a com
pliment TO DR.. Wickcrsham for hi,
valuable work in the cause of genera
education, he said that in early life he wa
q practical working farmer and during al
his active life he was a teacher of agricul
turc SO that he is able 70 present thj
underlying principles Of farming, boil
practically and theoretically. Real eduCa
tiOn is the training Of the mind, and thl
question is, shall tho mind be trained al
mind, or shall it be trained in connection
with manual labor At the state college
they do not teach boys to hoe and plO9
and do other farm work it is expected
that these things shalt be learned on th
farm. The object of proper education i
to train the mind into the habit of dOiul
its work at the right time and in the righ
way-in regular logical way. During on
civil war the generals who were traine,
at West Point wcro those that rCss to dis
trction, while very few of the voluutee
generals who had not had the ad
vantages Of military training becam
eminent IN arms. - IL is in all pro
fessiOns; those who have had a prope
| nI 90 70 Ip ,-kt 10 l..
have not, lag behind. Our object shoul
be 10 train the mind to make men an
women of our boys and girls, and trust t
thom do their own life work, whatever
may be, in credtable way. 1t is th
glory of man, that he does not merel
work with his body, like horse or an OK
but that he works with his mind also
thus bringing intelligence to his work
; We are now doing with machinery muc
that was formerly done by hand. Ever
invention Of every kind is q contrivanc
) by which man compels tho forces of natur
) to do tho work which he would otherwis
have to do himself. The speaker expecte
to live long enough TO rec tho maximum
; amount OF work accomplished by the mir
; imum amount Of labor and that all classe
) of people would have ample time fc
rest and recreation. To sum up the whol
| question: GuuCaIlOu rests on prOpt
training of the mental faculties in unde
lying principles, and wise system wi
apply those principles TO the uses of lif,
and all education in this country shoul
aim to make good men and women.
RsmsrKs on the Essay.
DR.. WIckersham called upon farmers
give their views on tho address made b
DR.. AthertOn, and Henry NJ. Engle, A
NJ. Frantz and DR.. A. n. Dickie, mad
brief remarks agreeing substantially wit
, the lecturer.
| DR.. WickeTsham gavo his reasons lC
iavoring tho study of tho clements {
agriculture in the public schools.
, In closing the institute DR.. Wickershar
J announced that tho governor would
! here tomorrow.
Adjourned to s o'clock p. IN.
Evening session.
Wednesday, E0entng--The institute wa
called to order at 1880 o'clock. DR.. Wicl
ersham said that the programme as ar
ranged would have to be considtrabl
changed. DR.. Elwood Harvey was
have been present aud lecture on I'll
"Horse," but is sick in bed, and Victor
Piollet has not yet arrived. Other gent!s
men were present, however, and wou
. fill tho vacancy, which unayoidably o
Cured
Agricultural ResdJustment
! DR.. A. NJ. Dickie, of Bucks county, WI