The midland journal., 1888-01-20
Annual Meeting of Farmers Clubs

Annual Meeting Of Farmers Clubs.
The annual meeting of the farmers Of
Montgo merry and the adjoining counties.
the sixteenth in succession of these assem-
blages, was held at Sandy Spring. Mr..
Henry G. Hallowell presided, and in OPEN
ing, said the object of the gathering was to
do something towards making farming more
successful and more interesting. For him.
self, though anxious to pass over the duty
of directing these meetings 10 younger
hands, he was never more deeply interested
in agriculture. nor more convinced that it
is above all things, important to get farm
ers out of old ruts. Education is needed
not SO much the education of schools and
books, not that of the plow handle and the
hoe, but that which comes of meeting to-
gether, comparing experiences, which
makes an all round man. Michael Angelo
at eighty years of age said: Il still carry
my satchel;" he was still a learner. We
farmers, as class do not carry our satchels
but we ought to carry them and become ed
ucated to take broader views of men and
things. Does the farmer appreciate the
Importance of his position; or, on the other
hand, does he get fair share Of what pass
es through his hands? He is two we'll con-
tent with his own methods, his old ways.
formerly living on farm came, almost of
| rird
that he must do more than turn the crank.
Let us, then, take as the text for today
Michael Angeles motto. 81 still carry the
satchel,' and these meetings will not only
bind us together in good fellowship, but
promote our business operations.
THE SUBJECT OF cREAMERIEs.
DIR. Francis Thomas, from the committee
on cre9 meries, reported that the interest was
increasing. He knew of seven centrifugal
separators started in an adjoining county
and cne in Montgomery within a year; and
we cannot follow the dairy business unless
| we adopt The creamery system. Our ideas,
though, OF the milk are too high for the
men who run the creameries, and we must
make more milk from the COW.
w. w. Moore. from the same committee
said the largest creamery in the world f,
probably, is at Hamilton, Loudon County.
Va. There are sevente en- separarors oper-
ating. The highest price of the creamery
butter is thirty four cents, and IN hot wealth,
er the highest price paid for milk was six
ty to seventy five cents per hundred lbs.
1t costs less to get pound Of butler from
Iowa to Washington and sell il there than
it does to get it from Sandy Spring. Elgin
print butter now sells at thirty tive cents.
We make better butter and sell it direct to
the consumers, who have come to know the
creamery butter is better than the average
farm butter.
II was agreed to appoint committee to
consider and report on the advisability OF
forming a sheep raising association.
Another committee reported tests show
ing the shrinkags in corn, potatoes and
wheat when kept seven months after har-
vesting. The first lost IL, the last two
about per cent, in weight.
Benjamin H. Miller read the report OF
the com mittee on Township System, an
able aud comprehensive document, which
concluded with the statement that this sys-
tenn would be san unmixed blessing for the
agricultural population of the state," and
commencing its consideration to the farm
ers of Maryland. The recommendation was
adopted.
WHY THE TAX RATE ADVANCES.
| Thomas l. Lansdale submitted the re-
port of the committee appointed to report
why the tax rate of the county advances as
prices of farm pro lucts decline, and find
out where the money goes, and try to de-
wise some means Of governing the county so
that taxes will be reasonable.
Since the new assessment, in 1887, the
basis of taxation has increased AZ per cent
and expenditures 1sl per cent; the taxa
ton has gone up from 7s cents In 1877, to
S9l cents in 1886, OF about 14l per cent.
| A ooMpARIsoN OF EXPENnIrUREs