Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1891-07-08
The Institute and stevens County Farm


erS.
EDITOR TTIBUNE:--In II converse
ton with Mr.. o. G. Gregg at the time
the institute was held in Morris M
was very much pleased with the i'll
terest the farmers took in the instl'
tute work. He said that the first in
siitute held here there was small at
tendance and not much Interest taken
in the institute corps, but now there
is good attendance and great inter
est taken. You farmers Of Stevens
county have meta great change. Now
there is II cause for this change that
many have never thought of; 1T is the
Farmers Alliance, not as II political,
but as a social organization. Through
the Alliance the farmers have been
brought together, and have talked
over and discussed questions of inter-
est to all farmers. They have given
their opinions on the different modes
of farming; some new and many use.
full ideas have been presented at these
gatherings. Such gatherings are truly
elevating to men; they are brought
into an atmosphere of freedom and in
dependence of thought and action.
BY attending these Alliance meetings
farmers have been induced to read
more; they take more papers, both
agricultural and general, and thus be-
come better informed on all subjects,
This idea of a farmer hedging himself
in on 100 acre farm without any knowl-
edge of what is being done by his
neighborS or the world outside has a
tendency to dwarf the intellect.
We feel grateful to Supt. Gregg for
his good opinion of the farmers of
Stevens county and their improvement
during the past few years, bat we
must say that the institute corps has
improved as well us the farmers. A
large portion of the farmers that at
tended the first institute were disap.
pointed, The work of the institute
was not adapted to the 100 acre farmer,
but applicable to men that run large
farms and large dairies. There was
also much talk about ensilage and the
silo.- We doubt not that the silo is Il
good thing on Il large dairy farm, but
we have no use for it in this county.
The institute corps thought that the
first institute held in Morris was
failure, and SO did the farmers; but
the last institute was q success. 1t
was fraught with useful information
from beginning to end, and the farmer
that did not attend it missed q good OPP
portQpity. The talk would apply to the
farmer of 100 acres equally as we'll as
the farmer of 10000 acres, and the
Farm Annual that was distributed
among the farmers at the institute is
full of valuable information, No
farmer should he without it: There
is always q difference in opinions ~
men, SO we rs practical "~->
free ta ei''- -''IlnerS leel
~ our opinions. Il use the
plural number as it is the opinion of
many farmers.) In Farm Annual
No. 8, on page 101, is an article "How
to increase the bushels of wheat per
acre in Minnesota written by DR..
H. J. Seignunet. DR.. S. says: sit will
perhaps astonish the Minnesota farm
Ell when he will be informed that
when he soWs five pecks of wheat per
acre he harvests only the produce of
one peck and that four peclls are lost. )"
Y es, and it will astonish the Stevens
county farmer much more to see Dr..
s. Oh any other man pay amortgage
debt of $500 OF S., 900 on 100 acres of
land with that method of farming. Dr..
Seignunet's method is very good for
an Experiment Station, but man is
considered fanatic that will advo-
cate the one peck seed per acre mode
Of farming as practicable for the
common farmer. The Doctors ideas
and figures look we'll on paper; but 1
would say to farmers $50 Slow on
new theories. I would recommend to
all farmers who have the Annual to
read the article referred to and if we
cannot endorse all of the Doctors
ideas, there are many suggestions
that will benefit us. There is a chance
for improvement with all farmers.
S, B. SMITH.