Telegram-herald., 1891-09-09
rwEsT MICHIGAN FARMERS.

IA uafksbnK.
WEsT MICHIGAN FARMERS.
The West Michigan Farmers Club
held it's September meeting at the city
hall, yesterday 10 discuss the methods
OF combating the effects of drouth on
growing crops The room in which
they met was filled with the aroma OF
delicious fruits. beautiful and tempt
ing specimens OF peaches, grapes.
plums and apples. The sweet-scented
peacn permeated the air with its de-
lightful fras anoe. giving those present
a pleasant reminder OF q purely rural
Autumn.
Mr.. Bosworth exhibited specimens
OF stock OF clover seed that were suffer
ing from the ravsxes oi an insect. Alter
they had been inspected by several
members OF the club IL WAS announced
that the condition OF the specimens
was similar to- thai OF the crop
throughout The country. New shoots
lad started and IL was believed Tho.
next years crop would be oi 8ood
growth. The subject of sowing clover
seed was then incidentally discussed
Mr.. sail would SOW clover seed
l.. the spring, early, before the snow
leaves. or wnEle Jae ground Is irozen-
The other members conceded with his
opinion and as a starter In the dis
cussion OF the reg alar subicct he read
u paper OF which the following is al
extract:
There are times that crops suii>f
for the want II rain, but we S<lli's
tell when IL may come. Men have
studied and tried 10 guard against
drouth, and they have been successful
In Texas in proouciDg rainfall % TIE
use OF powerful explosives IN the air,
but that is too expensive for general
appljcation. Ii We can by our own
efforts and labor invent some way TO
partially prevent or TO assist the crops
in time o. sirouch we would accomplish
the object in q measure. i nave
farmed IL for many years and have not
had any reason TO complain oi the
drouth materially affecting the crops
/ remember raising crop oil corn on
the highest and drycst ground that
had. and we had the most severe
drouth that summer that / ever knew.
but had a good crop. My theory
was to prepare my ground Tor corn
with special care; to piow II possible
O inches deep and plant early. cay he.
fore the Sth Of May. Then ! keep
the ground thoroughly cultivated so
that NO weeds may grow. Corn roots
will run down as far as you piow, and
II you have soil enough to hold the
moisture your crops will not suffer In
the time OF drouth."
President Lindcrman said that his
idea in avoiding the effects Of drouth
is TO fiji the sol Wit gctable matt r.
M will ab~orb and retain water hy
caprlary attractions. He had noticed
that a good green crop plowed nnder
wolud retain nscisture. lie has plowed
,,nner n good crop OF rye and found
that his corn and potatoes were OF
raukor growth than his neigbbors
across the way.
Mr.. PcarsaIl said that deep plowing
is good safeguard against the effects
OF drouth. The roots OF crops viii
penetrate 50 deep that they viii lind
moisture during a dry time. porous
soil does not require such deep plow-
iuu 60 get the same results. Crops
growing on deeply piowed land will
endure drouth much better than n
shallow piowed ground He had
piowcd ten inches deep and raised
corn bearing three ears 20 the stalk.
while his neighbor. who piowcd shall
low. had a ligth crop. A heavy spread
| ing Of manure will materially assist
| che growing Of \ crop during drp
| time. President Iinderman gave an
| illustration cf cabbaCe patch where
one-hnlf had been sown TO rye and the
crop riowed under and the remainder
was planted in the usual way. II
was dry season and the part that
had been sown 10 rye produced a much
larger crop than the remaining half.
He aleo ssated that ne had noticed
| during a dry firne that water can be
| squeezed from The roote VI the rve
that has been plowed under. Rye
Gown early IN the fall can he plowcd
under for n spring crop and the crop
may shen se rown two weeks later
than ~ ss~nsl and u viii mature fully
| he early when sown In TIE ordinary
WAY
President rsrdcrman n an ardent
supporter ~ ere theory ~ gr-rr me-
nur~ne. ana srrn~d thst n fs tire best
| method of growing crops. Tbe sub
| iefe of curing corn fodder was then die
cusr>4 Mr.. pras~aii ssid Ne sfsr a.
here's IN sbc old method ~ curtng IN
| fhe sh~k. e. p briggs euts ME corn
lgsder and i~ts n lie On ire ground
uut1 eurvvd He fhen puts n n small
~horte. yr. ers-.h thought n ~es
| fsrffer 10 1eave con fuvldtr IN fre sescvrt
ell r-snsrr tsssn r, pvt n IN the s,arn.
Ffoweffss evrcrr~sn ev~cescorn = ror-
psSJrr~d ~ nf-a ~ ~ che b-~f ~ ras<e
Cor ss~sasr. Stock WI eat d stoctD
| ema ALL