Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-07-15
JULY WORK ON IHEEARN
West Michigan Farmers Talk
Lesrnedly About the Crops.
WHEAT PROSPECTS ARE FAVORABLE
Methods sf Carsss Hay-Dess the KsGh'
Method fayy-"Whsat. Varieties ssa
Guilty. atien." L. the Next sab
Jset tor Disc asstsa-


There was o small attendance at the
meeting OF the West Michigan Farmers
Club yest erday afternoon in the city
hall. Although the attendance was
small. tho interest was great and the
meeting Was interesting. The meeting
was called to order by President La
derman, and Secretary Slayton read
the record OF the June meeting, which
contained . tabulated report of the
prospect for yield OF the different
grains and fruits from vai ilous locaiI-
ties The report was adopted with the
exception of the rating OF apples, which
were reported as averaging 10 per cent.
Some were OF the opinion that the rate
WAS too high, aud after Il little Discus
SION the crop was placed at % per cent.
The regular subject. Work Tor July, :"
was then taken up and handled IN
| A Free and Easy style.
| W. w. Johnson was first o. the floor
and said that farm work is as tar ad-
vanced for the month as 1t usually ~ IN
July. People are busy cistiivating corn
| preparatory To beginning harvest. Hay
IS nearly all >, cured in good condition,
but the crop Is much lighter than last
year. He said that he put up his hay
This year by the improved method; that
he cured his bay IN the cock instead of
! permitting 1t To become scorched and
sunburnt by lying spread out in the
hot sun all day. Hay cut III the morn
| ing should he cooked up in the after
noon and allowed to sweat, after which
1t should be opened To the air fora short
time and then put into bay. BY this
method OF curing, hay retains all OF lis
| nutrltive qualities and comes out as
bright as silver dollar. He would
give SO more ton for hay cured IN this
way than he would for hay that had
been bleaChed III the sun Tor two or
three days.
Thought It Didn't Pay.
Mr.. BOsworth agreed with Mr.. Johnson
in regard to the superior quality of hay
cured IN this way, but thought the ex-
ira work required IN putting up and
opening 1t would hardly be compen-
sa.ed for IN the extra quality given TO
1t. Farmers are very busy during that
particular time and have no time for
extra work, because other work is
crowdiug them and needs their atten.
ton. President Linderman had Ob-
served that hay allowed to be spread
out thin on the ground and to become
perfectly dry would be damaged con.
siderably i'll handling. The dry leaves
would be broken oil and wasted, there
by losing the most nutritious part. Mr.
l. nderman's talk here b.a ched Oh
onto the subject oil cultivatlng corn
4 IL ha
cultivated after the season is advanced
and the stalk has good growth. The
fine fibers would tie cut off and the dry
earth would be mixed with the moist
soil beneath, thereby absorbing the
moisture and allowing it to escape from
the freshly upturned soil on the surface
w. w. Johnson said he was Older than
any one present and his experience
ought to be more valuable than that OF
younger farmers. He had noticed
tnat frequent stirring of the soil had q
tendency to retain the moisture and
cultivatIng during a drouth had always
proven beneficial. MIR. Pearsall read q
paper on "Does Farming Payg He
pictured the condition of the farmer al
the present time AS much better than
II has been for 5 few years. Prices fol
farmers produce are far IN advance oi
those Of former years. "lf you wan'
to raise money
You Must Raise Wheat" Said He.
A farmer should keep himself well
posted concerning his business. To be
a successful farmer one needs to bc
better informed than he does to'be Z
mechanic. The prospect IS that there
Will be u greater demand for United
States wheat for the next dozen years
than ever before and the price paid wli
be greater than for the last few years
Mr.. Johnson thought the predicted
failure OF wheat in foreign countries
fer the next few years was partly mag
mary. The soil that has hecome
impoverished through over production
viii be recruited and the production
will be equal to the demand. Mr.
Bosworth SAID that II wheat advanced
TO 81 a bushel the majority OF agricul
turalists would not be benefited To any
great extent, for they would begin tc
contract habits of extravaganza.
w. Z. Smith SAID extravaganza should
be guarded against by farmers. This
leads them to place mortgages upon
their farms. Their daughters mus
have pianos and organs and their SOM
iHu-t Haft utSt ttl> ltot uo SWIM 80 Wv
''old man. begins to be a little pros
porous ln his business. and pretty soor
mortgage is placed on the farm TO pa,
their expenses
Mr. Llnderman suggested that farm
ers should not give their whole atten
ton to raising wheat because tina
cereal has advanced. tor one kind o
grain will soon impoverish the soil
Mixed hushandry will pay better IN th'
end. He said the pro-pect for tn
: farmer is bright. The time Is comini
when farming will be considered NOR
: honorable calling than Il IL now.
, The suffice, OF peaches was men
toned. and II vas estimated that loo 90
bushels will be placed on the msrke
mere this fall. The subject for tn
August meeting will be "wheat-Narie
ties and tuitlyatlon.'