The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-02-14
TIE FARMERS INSTITUTE
Wise Words and Hard Won Elk
perlencs by Practical Farmers.
Full Proceedings of the Farmers
Institute at the Court House
Yesterday.
| From Fridays Daily.l

morning, and organized by the election of
Major Ramsdale, of Burnet county, as
chairman and @. N. 0usley, of Dallas, Sec
rotary. The institute was opened with
prayer by Gen. R. NJ, Gano, of Dallas.
MIR. Ousley was called upon and briefly
stated the immediate object of the meet
ing to be the holding of Farmers insti-
tute for the discussion of agricultural and
| livestock topics by and between practical
farmers and stockraisers; the ultimate OBJ
jeot to call the attention of the public in
general and the legislature in particular
to the need of state patronage in main
tanning system of Farmers institutes
once per year in as many counties in
Texas as possible.
Ex-Governor o. M. Roberts delivered
an able and exhaustive address on the sub
ject of Taxation and Its Bearing on
Farmers" He st ted that farmers are con
cerned more than any other class of citi-
zens in an equal and fair rendition of
property for taxation, since their property
consists of realty and livestock, which
have well known value and cannot be
spirited away to vaults or across state
lines about the time the tax assessor comes
around. The governor led up through
logical and careful steps to discussion of
the tariff as an indirect tax and handled
the subject as only the cold
Alcalde" can, concluding with wise
and pertinent suggestions as to
the manner of organizing the institute
movement. His address was filed for
publication. This address and others
hereafter mentioned will be published in
some form, not yet determined, for the
public benefit.
Mr.. W. P. Hancock, of Bell county, the
Oldest charter granger in the state, an ex-
member of the legislature, father in
agricultural Israel, and one of the first
workers in the institute movement, read a
very able and comprehensive essay on the
"Need for Institutes, Their Work and
Field of Operation"
Following the paper of Mr.. W. P. Han
cock on the need for Institutes, there was
a general discussion on the Subject by the
following members in fve-minute
speeches: Maj. A. j. Rose, of Bell county;
B. G. Giles, of Travis county; Capt. W.
@. Walsh, of Travis county; L. B. Giles, of
Travis county; General King, of Travis
county; Capt. A. j. Hill, of Walker county;
Prof F. A. Guile :, of the State Experiment
station; Doctor Shapard, of Travis county,
and others.
A query box was established for the ask
ing of questions, to be answered during
the progress of the institute, and COM
mittee appointed to answer the same.
A resolution was passed appointing leg
islative committee whose duty it shall be
to formulate plan of bringing the insti-
tutes forcibly to the attention of the leg
islature and to memorabilia that body in
behalf of state aid. The legislative COM
mittee consists of W. S. Marshall, W. @.
Walsh, Prof. F. A. Gulley, Major Rams
dale and B. @. Giles.
Col. Geo. B. Pickett, representative of
Wise county, being called on for speech,
stated that he had just returned from
home, having obtained leave of alb
sence for the week to visit lila
family. Arriving at home he found
his constituency greatly excited over the
subject of Farmers Institutes and he was
dispatched post haste back to Austin to
attend the meeting to-day as delegate
from Wise county.
A resolution was introduced by Capt.
W. G. Walsh inviting ladies to attend and
participate in the institute.
In the afternoon session a paper was
read by Capt. John O. Edgar, of Travis
county, on "County Roads," The paper
was very exhaustive, recommending
80 or 100 miles of macadamized
roads for Travis county, which, it is esti-
mated, could be built at cost of $4,000
per mile, making road twenty feet
wide and six inches deep in macadanl.
Captain Edgar argued that any mode of
taxation, except the issuance of bonds for
ha tiofa nfn
and futile.
The legislative committee reported
recommending a bill to be presented to
the legislature appropriating $4,000 for
farmers Institutes, to be placed under
the control of a board of agriculture, con.
sistipg of the commissioner of agri-
culture, the chairman of the faculty
of the Agricultural and Mechanical
college, and the director Of the agricul-
tural experiment station. On a motion
to adopt the report it was pretty fully dis
cussed. An important amendment sug-
gested was the addition of a practical
farmer and practical stockraiser to the
board. The consideration of the report
was deferred until this morning.
Prof. F. A. Gully, of the experiment
station, read very comprehensive paper
on stock feeding. He explained the pro-
portion of albuminoids and carbo-hy drates
which should exist in the feeding ration
for flesh, and suggested a ration
of hay, corn and cottonseed meal as a
cheap and efficient one, cheaper and more
efficient than hay and corn. He exhibited
samples of ensilage as preserved on the
Agricultural and Mechanical college farm,
and explained the method of building
silos, exhibiting models and describing
the preparation and putting up of the en-
silage. The ensilage was found to be
slightly acid, fresh, green and palatable.
The address was followed by many peril
nent questions, which were fully answered,
aad a running informal discussion ensued,
in which the interest was keen and active.
Mr.. W. A. CLARK, of Temple, also exhibited
samples of ensilage preserved in
stock. Capt. A. J.. Hill,
of Walker county, by request took
the floor and related his experience with
ensilsge. He has presented it whole with
out cutting. He is highly pleased with
his experience and will hereafter increase
his silo capacity, discarding partitions in
the construction of his silo in order to
prevent losses in the corners and on the
sides.
In the ensilage discussion it was related
that an acre of corn that will make TWEEN
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