The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-02-14
TIE FARMERS INSTITUTE
Increased Interest and Attend
ance.
Report of Yesterdays Proceedings
Valuable Papers and Dis
cussions.
From Saturdays Daily

ers' Institute was opened yesterday morn
ing with prayer by Gen. R. M. Gano, of
Dallas. The meeting was marked by an
increased attendance of ladies and more
general participation in the discussions.
The first subject for consideration was the
| acclimation of unacclimated cattle. Pro-
fessor George W. Curtis led in plain and
eminently practical address. Professor
Curtis has had large experience in man
aging imported cattle, and has had uni
| form success, with minimum of losses
from acclimation fever. His plan is,
briefly, to secure shipment in unin-
fectsd cars, place the cattle on
pastures which have been unoccupied
for one or two years and subjected to
the freezes of one or two winters, feeding
on laxative foods and importing the cattle
in comparatively thin condition. His
mode of treatment for sick animals is
mainly free doses of EPSON salts or other
purgative medicines, the chief point being
to keep the bowels open.
The address was followed by free dis
cu,sion, participated in by several msm-
bers, who related their several experiences.
| General Gano imports moderately thin
cattle in December, puts on rye pasture
and feeds on laxative foods. His expert
ence has been principally with Shorthorns,
which are probably the tenderest of all
the breeds. He finds Herefords and
Polled Angus the hardest, though Hol-
stems and Jerseys import well. General
Gano is an old Kentucky breeder, and his
experience was of comprehensive interest.
Major Ramsdale related his ex perienee
with seven imported shorthorns, way back
in the sixties, of which three died on the
drive from Galveston to Burnett county.
The others survived without treatment ex-
cept that they were muzZled to prevent
grazing part of the way.
DR.. Francis stated that after period
of two months cattle are not likely to i'm
part the infection, which fact leads him
to believe that the trouble is largely tenn
porary and incidental. Doctor Francis is
the veterinarian at the State Experiment
station and in conjunction with the state
veterinarian of Missouri is conducting an
exhaustive and thorough experiment with
this disease which will extend over a Pc
riod of two or more years.
| At the conclusion of the acclimstion dis
cussiop, Col. Geo. B Picket stated that
the house OF representatives had Just
passed resolution inviting the institute
to hold night session in the house of
representatives. The invitation was ac
cepted and committee was appointed to
prepare programme for the occasion as
night session was not contemplated in
the original arrangement.
The institute then adjourned until 2
o'clock,
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The institute met promptly at O'Clock.
The committee on legislation reported
bill to be presented to the legislature and
the report was adopted. The bill pro-
vides for board of agriculture consist
ing of the commissioner of agriculture,
the director of the agricultural expert
ment station, the chairman of the Agri-
cultural and Mechanical college faculty
and four practical farmers, horticulturists
or stockraisers, to be elected by CEN
trail institute com posed of delegates from
senatorial institutes. The bill provides an
appropriation of $4,000 per annum for
the holding of one institute annually in
each senatorial district.
The first regular subiect of discussion
was the "Relations of the Agricultural and
Mechanical college to the Farmers" by
Prof. Louis L. McInnis. who spoke with ele-
giant ease and plain pertinenoe, relating how
institutions of learning first began study
ing astronomy and remote sciences, and
gradually came to the prince and chief of
all sciences, agriculture. He explained
that the duty of the Agricultural and Me-
chanical college is not to turn out finished
farmers and mechanics, but to give the
youth of the land general education in
these subjects and to implant in them a
specific respect for the dignity of labor
and the Importance of industrial pursuits.
He explained how agricultural and me-
chanical education has been a work
of experimentation because there
was not originally sufficient number of
agricultural teachers to eq ip one college,
but that experience has brought wisdom,
and that agricultural and mechanical col
leSes are now practical and their work
tangible and efficient. He explained, also,
the history and workings of the State Ex-
pertinent station, supported by federal
appropriation of $4,000 per annum, To-
Gated at the Agricultural and Mechanical
college, and designed to make practical
experiments in agricultural and livestock
problems.
Governor Roberts read letter he had
received from MIS-. .. Il. sherman, Oh
Salado, Bell county, lady engaged in bee
culture, who sent Herewith a fine sample
of honey.
Mr.. Rose read paper prepared by the
same lady advocating in elegant and elo'
quent language the importance of bee
culture as an adjunct of the farm.
Mr.. d. A. Todd, of Travis county, gave
an exhaustive address on the Importance
of good county roads, and declared that
they can only be had on the bond system
He expressed himself opposed to
the employment of convict labor
on our country roads, and thought
they might be more proftsbly employed
in the construction of deep water port
The following resolution was unani
mously adopted:
Resolved, That the institute return
thanks to Mrs. Sherman for the interest
she displays in sending for inspectio d
samples of honey, and calling attention tt
the industry of bee-keeping.
Prof. q. W. Curtis gave a most interest
ing and instructive address on the differ
ent breeds of dairy cattle and illustrated
his remarks with drawings OF the Short
horn, Red Poll, Jersey and Holstein
showing the essential points in all dair!
stock. Samples of butter were exhibited
to demonstrate the effect of feed on tn,
color of abutter. Mrs. G. A. Graves anC
M T., Eilaa uava their exnarianca il