Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-02-06
SECOND DAY.

delighted with the evenings entertain
ment.
SECOND DAY.
On Friday morning the exercises were
opened with prayer by Rev. Thos. Balph.
Mr.. Theodore Neff then explained how
he raised 700 bushels of potatoes per acre
They were planted in trenches and COW
cred four inches deep, the ground having
been thourghly manured with well rotted
manure previous to the planting, and
afterwards we'll fertilized with potato
fertilizer. The largest potato of his grow
ing weighed 2115 ounces and the varieties
raised were the Green Mountain, Early
Standard and Rural Blush.
Following discussion on potato cul-
ture, Col. c. L. Poorman spoke at consid-
cradle length on Taxation" He made a
comparison of the expenditures of the
county in 1874 and 1888, showing that sal
aries of county officials have on an
average doubled in fifteen years. He
stated that the examination of records
shows that taxes have always been levied
to the full limit of the law and he sees no
hope of escape from the increasing
burden of taxation except in the entire
subversion of the system whereby county
affairs can be run on the principle of
great corporations Officials must not
get so large salary that they can afford
to buy their way into office. Incomes and
franchises should be taxed with other
property. The Colonel had carefully
prepared address and touched on ques-
tions of vital Importance to taxpayers.
Jno. Watson and John Longley entered
into the tax discussion in short and
pointed speeches, after which an adjourn
ment was taken until o'clock.
Gen. d. A. Hollingsworth opened the
afternoon session with paper on 'The
Law and the Farmer" He explained
the benefit to be derived from knowl-
edge of the rudiments of law, and recon-
mended better acquaintance with law as
calculated to eliminate petty disputes.
Law in regard to wills and deeds shield be
carefully studied. The address was clear
and concise and conveyed much informa-
tion, and the delivery elicted close atten-
tion.
Mrs. Esther Miner followed in a well
written essay on "The Future of the
Farm" Mrs. Miners treatment of the
question was well received by the audi
ence and the production is published in
full as follows:
THE FUTURE OF THE FARM.
The future of the farm must necessarily
be largely matter of speculation; yet
there are some things on which it is well
worth our while even to speculate, and
possibly this may be one of them-why
not?
We observe that the artist, whether a
painter, poet, a sculptor, or an architect,
has continually before him certain ideals
his higest conceptions of what is per-
fection is his particular art. True, these
are never fully realized, but every day of
his life is continued effort to attain
their realization, carrying him higher in
his art-nearer his ideals, for
"Still through our paltry stir and strife
CLOVIS down the wished ideals,
Aud, longing mOuds i'm clay, what life
Carves in the marble real"
May there not then as well be ideals of
farm and farm-life, the realization of
which is worth our most unwearied eff
forts? Ideals of greener pastures, richer
! harvests, finer and better flOcks and herds
neater and handsOmer homes, and above
and beyond all, ideals of higher, better,
and nobler life on the farm? Has inven-
ton been exhausted? Has all knowledge
applicable to the farm been applied? Are
we who live in the country homes then at
our best? No one believes ANYTHING SO
absurd; on the contrary, we all recognize
that the present is full of hope, and future
rich with promise for the farm; that we
are in fact but at the dawning of a brigh-
ter, better era of farm-life.
What, then, are the ideals of this better
future, and how may we attain their
realization?
Full of the American spirit of acquisi-
tiOn, we have doubtless always consider