The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-03-12
STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.


Having been duly appointed dele
gates to represent the Columbia Coun.
ty Agricultural Society at the ninth
annual meeting of the State Board of
Agriculture to be held in the Supreme
Court Room at Harrisburg January
27th and 2Sth 1886, we left on the
morning train Wednesday the 18th IN
company with Mr.. Chandlee Ewes,
member from this county, 4. II. Little
Esq, delegate from the Pomona
Grange of this county, and Mr.. Ka
shinka delegate from the Northern
Columbia and Southern Luzerne Agri.
cultural society, and Mrs. Ewes and
little daughter and Mrs. G. L. Sands.
Reached Harrisburg at eleven O'Clock,
in time to hear the reports of commit
tees and the closing business of the
forenoon session, The committee on
credentials decided that Mr.. Kashinka
from Berwick could not be admitted
as member of the State Board of Ag-
riculture as both Luzerne and Colum-
bia counties had regularly admitted
members and there was no vacancy.
Mr.. Kashinka raised the question
whether or not every agricultural So
ciety in a county was not entitled to
member in the State Board, and after
some discussion the Chair ruled the
question out of order and called for
the order of business.
Our party registered at the Jones
House and attended each session of
the Board while we remained in the
city.
First on the order of business for
Wednesday afternoon was an essay on
'Book Farming" by Hon G. G. Mus
selman, member from Somerset county.
Opposition to book farming, said
Mr.. Musselman, rests upon two props
Ignorance and superstition. Farm
ing requires a greater knowledge of
science than any other calling. And
although the standard of intelligence
among farmers is not as high as it
should be, they compare favorably
with any other class in the community
The theoretical farmer operates mostly
upon paper-at long range. The
practical farmer gathers knowledge
from books and agricultural news.
papers, and then uses it. Agricultural
papers are worth many times theil
cost. j. b. Smith said when he first
began farming he knew but little
about it. He had learned how to raise
corn, and how to trim grapevines, and
many other things, mainly from books
and papers. John Mcdowell observ
ed that in his illustrated farm book
the riders were put on the worm fence
in the wrong way. So the man who
reads, needs brains as well as eyes
Colonel Young said that more knowl
edge was what every farmer needed
and that to succeed he must be learn
ing all the time. So they must avail
themselves of every help-books
papers, observation, experience and
experiment.
Mr.. Garrettson inquired whether 6
man with liberal education could buy
a farm and pay for it himself by the
profits from farming without working
hard, and Professor Nelson replied
that the knowledge of farming derived
from books is like all other knowledge
derived from books. 1t must be usec
with care and common sense Expert
ments conducted carelessly or not Otter
repeated were generally worthless.
farmer can not succeed without worl
any more than any other man.
Second, Expectations and Expert
ence," by H. H. Colvin, member from
Lackawanna. The essayist pictured
the contrast between the average far
mers expectations when he commeno
ed the farm work and his experienc,
after having few crops, but urged
that if he would but continue to worl
and manage carefully his later expert
ence would come fully up to his mos
sanguine expectations.
Third, Boundary Lines" Th,
boundary lines of nature-mountains
rivers and seas-were generally crook
ed and unsatisfactory, said n. f. Tn
derwood' In the western states th
farms were laid out in sectioDs-64,
acres in section and thirty two sec
tlons in a township.
In the taking up of lands in our owl
state it was first done in large tracts
These on paper resemble closely tn
patchwork of crazy quilt, in com
parison with the chessbeard work O
our Western states. Disputed bound
ary lines was the most prolific sourc
of ill will among neighbors and ada
cent landowners. Mr.. Searle ha
been a practical surveyor. He sal
,wo-thirds of all such troubles gre,
out of disputed boundary lines. Ever
line should have at least three point
marked on it by permanent landmarks
The owner of the land should inspeo
them once year and show them to hi
family, particularly the younger chilc
ren. j. G. Zerr approved of thi
course it had been the practice Of hi
father and it was his own practice.
Fourth, Farmers Rights and Dut
les" DIR. Calder argued that farmer
as class had not been sufficiently r,
spected They pay taxes for the SUI
port os the Government. The wor
on the farm is the foundation of all il
dustries. There is no reason wh
they should be unequally burdeneC
If we protect the manufacturer in tn
Importation of foreign productions
why not protect the farmer as we'll
Although the most numerous clas
farmers have less influence because c
failure to cultivate distinct class fee
ing. Farmers should unite, and, il
stead of having few farmers club
they should have a general organic,
lion. Farmers must unite for tn
preservation of their rights and tC
the suppression of their wrongs. The
should unite to elevate their callin,
which is the most ancient and II
most honorable among men.
WEDNESDAY EVENING.
FIRST, "Can a Woman Find Profit
BILE Employment in the Dairy and
Breeding Thoroughbred Stock" /
w, p, Hazard Esq, editor of II
Guernsey breeders Journal We
Chester Pa.
HWoman in tha Dairy Whath,