Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-01-18
State Farmers Association.

| btdJV al nCAO ASoUCldtlOu.
The annual meeting of the Maryland
Farmers Association was held in Baltimore
city last week, beginning on Wednesday
and adjourning on Thursday. The follow
ing are the more important proceedings of
the meeting
| Colonel and Farmer Allen, who is vice.
president for Baltimore county, was called
| to the chair having been chosen to preside
by the other vice presidents present, as pro-
vided by the constitution when the presi-
dency is vacant and Mr.. w. b. Sands filled
the post of secretary. Farmer Allen is the
principal of the McDonogh School, and
represented the Garrison Forest Club in the
meeting. His prominent features, furrowed
face and sturdy frame are evidences of his
practical experience on the farm. In his
opening address he referred leelingly to the
death of ex-Gov. Hamilton, who, he said,
did not confine his labor to solving State
problems, but also to dealing with practical
farm questions. In referring to the objects
OF the association he said that such an Or
ganization as the Maryland farmers, is neces-
sary. In this State, according to the census
OF 1880, two OF every seven men are engaged
in farming, and the value of farm products
for one year is $3,000,000 The prosperity
OF the State is bound up in its agricultural
communities.
Continuing, Farmer Allen said "There
is much that is creditable and encouraging
in our Maryland agriculture We have
many well.tilled farms, and many farmers
as Intelligent, progressive and successful as
any in the country. We have neighbour
hoods, large districts even, which III high
cultivation and produCtiveness will compare
well with any in our sister States Ours is
an extremely varied agriculture as varied
as our climate and soil, which includes all
the changes to be found between the sea
and the summit of the Alleganes. This
great diversity in our farming has both Il
good and bad side so lar as progress is
concerned. More intelligence, less narrow
ness, wider views, have resulted from the
commingling Of those engaged in widely
different branches of agriculture, but on the
other hand there has been less unity of &C
ton and more difficulty in combining the
agricultural community as a whole in the
pursuit OF common ends
"W lille there is much that we can look on
with satisfaction and pride, is it not true
that there is u growing conviction that we
are barely holding our own-that whatever
may be true of individuals or even of some
districts the general farming OF the State is
hardly keeping pace with that of the pro-
gresslve States about us?
With the opening OF the immense North
west competition is getting sharper every
day. We feel it constantly in depressed
prices and gutted markets. Do we not feel
sometimes that we are outstripped not en-
tlrely by the cheap and virgin lands of that
region? Do we not suspect that there are
comparatively new States which are ahead
OF us in agricultural methods and processes,
which are solving more rapidly than we are
doing the constantly recurring problem of
how To get the largest returns from a given
quantity OF land and labor?
"This matter deserves to be looked into,
and if the suspicion be true 1t becomes us to
bestir ourselves There is one thing in
whc. We are certainly behind all, or nearly
all, our sister States, and it was "a thing
which this association was designed in some
measure to correct | refer to the lack of
any effective State organization among our
farmers. We have clubs and other local
organizations, county agricultural societies
and the grange. But these embrace small
part of the farming population, and many
OF them are transient as well as local in
character We have no state bureau OF az
ricuiture, no commissioner nor State board,
no agency indeed, except this purely voun-
tary association for looking after the farm
ing interests of the State. Progressing
gressive progress-is impossible in this con
dition of things. We are like soldiers with
out leader-everybod fighting on his
own hook. A sort OF guerilla warfare may
be carried on by good soldiers without or
ganization, but the results will be insignifi
cant. While all leading agricultural States
have resorted to some kind of State organi-
cation and control through commissioners
or State board, we have done nothing of the
sort"
ed the experiment station, and asked for the
more general dissemination of information
on agricultural topics among farmers.
The Hon. John E. Russell, member of
Congress from Massachusetts, told what he
knew about horse breeding. His theories
have been demonstrated as practical by his
own experience, and the farmers knew it
and literally appauded him Mr.. Russell
was formerly secretary of the Massachus-
etts State Board Of Agriculture, and since
be has been a member Of Congress he has
always been an advocate of the interests of
the farmer. He favored the admission of
wool free of duty, believing that free wool
would benefit the farmer. Farmer Russell
would look more at home in counting
room than on farm, but he is nevertheless
practical farmer. His features are CLASH
cal and his form well rounded. A dark
ornaments.
The speaker said he had come at the re-
quest of the State secretary to speak upon
practical subject in which all were interest
ed, the breeding Of horses by farmers, or
horse breeding as a branch Of mixed farm
ing. He was not there 10 lay down rules
for stud farms where large capital is invest
cd and the whole product is from the sale Of
horses, but to speak TO men who with cattle,
sheep and hogs, may raise colt or two each
year Tor sale from the farm, for the most
profitable farming is that which gets the
most money from animals raised on the
band The speaker quoted an English say
ing, thai everything sold from the farm
should 90 off on its legs-meaning that 80
far az possible the grain, hay and roots Of the
farm should be fed to animals, and these
should be the means of getting money
such farming increasing the fertility OF the
land He regretted that he was not better
informed in respect TO the horse breeding OF
Maryland aud the feeling of farmers in re-
gard to it, In New England farmers had
been discouraged by the i'll success and hea-
Wy losses Of past years in their attempts TO
breed trutters, business that never has
been successful because attended with great
uncertainty. lie thought that no farmer
ought To undertake 10 breed horscs unless
the animal. lie should then consider his
market, and try to rear an animal that would
meet the readiest sale. 1t will not pay to
raise cheap horses Fine carriage stock is
always in active demand, always scarce, and
as easy to raise as car horses. II will not
| pay to raise small horses. They are useful,
| but sell low. Good size must be had, and
| the selection Of sire and dam must be with
ii view To good size in the progeny, Grow
| ing iuals are often stqnted by pqJi keeping
| No horse can be made without grain Ma
| ture strives in vain if abundant food is not
provided. Mares and foals turned upon
| thin, worn out pastures to fight flies and en-
| dpre storms will not help to pay the farm
ers taXcs nor interest on mortgages. Farm
ers make mistake in thinking that fine,
| high spirited young horses are not ft for
farm work. They are improved by it. They
should learn to work in all kinds of farm