River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-11-25
Farmers Institutes.

Farmers Institutes.
Extracts from paper prepared by
Hiram Smith for the State Agricultur-
al Society of Wisconsin:
"The term of Agricultural Institute
a. the title of the law, not only answers
as name, in contradiction to other
institutions, but there is philosophy,
logic and deep significance in the
term employed, institute inquiries. !"
I'VE cannot hide
the fact that large class of farmers
in the state, for the want of the
knowledge and practice of the best
methods of farming, are receiving no
benefit from their invested capital in
land and stock, for their entire annual
gross receipts are less than the ordin-
airy wages of farm hands. They farm
as they did twenty years ago, when
war prices prevailed, and almost any
kind of farming paid some profit, but
| is not at all suited to the era of low
prices prevailing.
Thousands of farmers still continue
to throw their manure out of the stable
windows, there to remain until the
following fall, or longer, the phos-
pilates are washed out by the rains,
and the ammonia is burnt up by the
lamentations of the pile in summer,
and when this almost worthless stuff
is spread upon the land. its effect is so
dim, that the farmer is often heard to
say that his farm is so rich that barn.
yard manure is of no use"
"This class of farmers evidently
make very large proportion of the
1924, 600 pounds of butter annually
made in Wisconsin, which sells for an
average of Is cents per pound; the
| creamery grade selling for l8 to
35 cts. per pound, and the dairy butter
from 10 to IL cents, and packing stock
for to cts. The immense loss in
dairy butter alone, annually, in Wis
| conSin, is over SIS, 200, 900 and almost
exclusively due to want of knowledge
how to set milk, separate cream, and
churn butter. The immense amount
of useless labor expended by the class
of farmers referred to in the cultiya-
ton and disposition of crops and in
the manufacture of butter enforces a
| severe economy, "a constant drudgery
| for man and wife, a disgust of the
children for farm life, and they make
up the statistics that show that but
one farmer in fifteen in Wisconsin is
a regular subscriber of an agricultural
paper.
"The object to be kept in mind
in holding institute meetings is
to present to those in attendance, the
results of the most recent inyestiga-
tions in theoretical and practical agri-
culture, and will consist mainly il the
statement of results obtained, by able
! and successful men, who have spent
| the best years of their lives in the
particular branch of agriculture they
are chosen to represent.
1.-The question may be asked, what is
meant by improved methods of farm
ingl will give an illustration rela-
ting to my own business. If dairy
farmer was pasturing fifty cows on
forty acres of wood pasture, and an
| additional pasture of sixty acres
| of tillable land, that is the
old method of farming. Improved
farming consists in blowing up twenty
acres of his pasture, and sowing win
ter rye, clover, millett. and planting
fodder corn, all for solling purposes,
then add II more cows and hire one
more man. This would cost
For the man and board. $4,000
For interest on twelve cows, 5000
The income from II cows properly
managed would be $50 per COW or
$720, net gain of $4,000. BY plow-
ing 90 more acres and adding II more
cows the gain would be double or $3.50.
Such improvements once begun lead
on to prosperity and happiness. The
acquisition of knowledge, like acquisi-
ton of wealth, constantly calls for
more.
A prosperous farming community
means prosperity to every other indus
try, commercial and manufacturing.
increased railroad accommodations,
improved schools and increased atten-
dance, and all that goes to make up
happy and contented people, and to
this end agricultural Institutes have
been inaugurated.
The meetings thus far held give
gnmistakable evidence of their useful
ness, challenging our gratitude to the
author of the bill, Hon. G.. Z. Esta-
brook, of Manitowoc, and the efficient
superintendent w. III. Morrison, for the
able manner III which they have been
conducted.