Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-02
A FARMER INSTITUTE.
Legislative appropriation Therefor
Granted in This State.
THE POSSIBLE GOOD DERIVABLE.
More Than Muscle Needed in Successful
Tilling of the Soil.
MICHAEL STRONG ON THE MOON SIGNS

1t is stated in a country journal that
a Farmers Institute will be held in Mt.
Pleasant on the 18th and 14th of February,
and that the Legislature has appropriated
500 to each county holding an institute, to
each county holding two $50 and $50 for
each institute exceeding two.
A rather extended inquiry was made
among farmers of this county ard among
men who deal with the granger class, among
lawyers and others of various professions,
but no one was found who knew of the Leg
islature having made such provisions. A
search was also made among the acts of the
last Legislature, but without success.
1t seems somewhat strange that those pre-
suInably interested are in the dark on the
subject, but it is a we'll known fact that
most farmers in this county are, for some
reason, quite apathetic on the subject of ag-
riculture. Most of them
SAY IT DOESN'T PAY
against Southern and Western competition,
and the German, who does make it pay, is
possibly willing to allow the native to go on
as his father did before him, until his SLOW
enly methods plaster his farm with mort
cages, when he, the German, will get it at a
cheap price
The time is not far distant when the Amer
lcRn farmer must hump himself A few
years ago it was said the waste in an Ameri-
can rolling mill by slovenly methods would
make profit for an English manufacturer.
This state OF affairs has been in part recti-
fed, and at present items formerly deemed
of slight importance are carefully consid-
cred, and few cents difference in freight
rates becomes very material in profit calcu-
lations. These matters are of equal interest
to the farmer, and in addition he should
study soils and the most approved methods
of cultivation. Were these institutes held
and the experience Of each farmer given the
aggregate of suggestion might prove very
valuable.
A certain portion of Indiana county is
populated mainly bv the Pennsylvania
Dutch. They have for century been re-
garded as fairly good farmers above the av-
erage, but most of them were imbued with
an undue regard for planetary influence,
and were especially strong believers in the
influence OF the moon on vegetation. Ac-
cordingIy they planted for grain crops when
the points" were up and root crops when
thev were down. The most Insignificant
work was regulated by the
SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC.
These signs indicated when trees should be
and wells cleaned, and in fact nothing could
be done unless the sign was right. In conse-
quence seed was frequently hurried into the
ground before the soil was properly prepared;
the baby was weaned too soon or too late;
hogs were killed too lean or too fat, or the
meat was observed to shrivel and go into
lard, and land was too cheap to be worth
production, and, in short, agriculture be-
came so improbable that farmers who
owned from 800 to 500 acres OF land were
unable to sell enough product to pay taxes,
and were forced TO depend on killing ver-
min, whose scalps were accepted in lieu of
cash. When wolves, wildcats, foxes, minks,
etc., became too scarce to be depended upon
for tax revenue, a meeting was called to
consider the situation.
After each of many farmers had detailed
his experience and the effects of Luna on
vegetation that had fallen under his observa-
ton, Michael Strong, the
MOST SUCCESSFUL FARMER
in the section, was asked to give his ex-
perienee. 1t was brief. Said he: 81 do
not SOW in the moons signs. try to get
nv ground in good condition by the time
the season to plant comes around, and de-
pend more on deep blowing, careful mixing
of the soil and on fertilizing than L do
on the moon. In fact 1 don't know
ANYTHING about the moon or its
influence, further than that know grain
ripens faster when it gives light than when
it does not, and am told it is on account of
the additional light"
Mr.. Strong's lecture did much to kill
superstition in that section, and crops have
been better ever since. Farmers, more than
anyother class. need attrition to sharpen their
accumulative faculties, and though their
association may lead to combines, as well as
do those of manufacturers, the possible evil
will be more than balanced by the knoEl-
edge gained by discussion, and, perhaps if
they were to try combining more than at
present their effort might produce an effect
to bring about reorganization OF the in
dustrial condition beneficial to the majority.