The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-12-28
The Farmers Institute +!
A SUGGEST

hristmas holidays prevented the large attend b
nee which was desired and expected. yet the a
,eeting was an intellectual and practical sue
ess, and those who were enabled to be present l
6 the sessions received profitable iced 1or 3
1ought.
The sing ging furnished on Friday by the Jaeger I
Quartet, OF Windham. on Friday evening by q
ome quartet, composed of Messrs. VanNess.
deBrlde, Olmsteaa and Lacey, and on Saturday
~ Joseph Heighton. of Kent. was very enjoya-
Die and well received. The addresses and pa
oers given by the persons named and in the
,rder of the published program. were Iully up
to the high expectations of the officers of the
society and OF the audience. We give brief
synopsis Of them.
The President in his opening address, de-
parted from the usual fiattering line taken in
an ordinary address of welcome. He said that |
those pi esent had come to their county home |
Here the taxpayers of the county deposit more |
than $24U 0U0 yearly tor the support OF local and
StaIe government. Here you ind market for
much oil your produce; here you spend much OF
your money Tor the comforts. necessities and
luxuries OF lite. In behalf of the officers of the
society l extend to you hearty welcome to this
Institute. 1t is you're. as your money pays for
it, and we ask you 10 make it an abundant sue
cess.
The secretary read the constitution of tie
society, 10 bs Known as the Portage 20 Farmers
Institute sooleLy. which states as It's purpose 10
hold karmers' Institutes at kavenna annually.
ana canva vassed the audience tor signatures.
kroi Jagger's Quarlette. OF Wlnoham. sang
.Onwar0 Darching." alter which Dr. cham
beriain spoke upon Tho Problems OF our clay
Eaams" :" he prln0lpal problem of the tai mer
upon any lam Is 70 make a good nving without
mis- .husr ham hIa.h
makes HE druasery and units his mimi lor
the III entail pleasuIes Oh nte. This problem has
always appeared harder to solve upon the Cay
farm m Than upon one o1 u more alluVlal nature.
At was formerly supposed that this problem
must be solved without tAe plow. 1t was be-
lieyed that the farm must be kept in pasture
ana meadow and the products led to the dairy
and other 1--we stock. WeiormerIy made money
in raising horses. but we now hnd The markeI
broken largely by the use OF electricity to move
the street Cars OF our cities. This same 1act has
materially aecreased the demand for hay and
grain 10 iced the horses which formerly drew
those cars. Another. and an llIeglumate inven
tion to spoil our market, is that which turns y
low grade OF taIiow INTO oIeomargarlne AND
throws il upon the market in competition with
butter. again, We eat meal In one OF our
cities MT cost of 81 IS cen Is, not one artlcle
of which, with the possible exception of the
lRoast beef and bolleo eggs but is adulterated.
We do not much object 80 having the adulter
ated artlcles solo Tor what they are Let those
who wish them have them. But no man has
any more right to sell the aouIterated article
for the pure Than he has to sign another mans
name to q bank check.
W g cannot successfully ploW the clay soil to
Advantage without Tile drainage. Then how
RI
farm2
A fine grade of early lambs. OF the mutton
breeds. can be sold at good prices at almost any
age frcm SIX weeks to one year old. February
lambs led tor Christmas market can readily be
sold at five or six dollars apiece. A line grade
OF butter, sold to the consumer. will be profita
ble &l0O worth of butter takes less fertility
from the farm than 500 worth OF any other pro
duce. WeIbroken draft horses of 400 pounds
or over. or line stepping coach or driving
horse can be sold at good price at any time
Timothy hay brings good price. Although
is thought to be selling the farm by the ton,
still when you can sell hay at $14 to 5 anu bu
shelled corn at SIS. bran at $l4 and linseed mes
at ssa rer ton. as Mr. Chamberlain did last tai
you should not be afraid to sell hay. The fer
tiIity may be kept up with super phosphate an
may be made profitable.
But with tile drainage and the plow the prof.
lem is much easier. Then we need the thor roug
cultivation and clover to disintegrate the sol
Clover is the great loosener of clay soils MOI
than that. it gathers carbon and nitrogen frol
the atmosphere, and also gathers together tE
fertilizing particles in the soil and fits them fc
. the use of other plants. Better Iced the fri
crop 10 stock. and carefully save tho manur
rather than plow the clover under. as you there
by get the money value of it and the fertilizin
value as well.
We must raise as large part of our ow
food as possible. We will thereby avoid to som
extent the middleman. and we cannot be stary
ed. Armour can do our butchering for US. bu
while doing it will put two thirds of the beef Q
hog into his own pocket. And we must avoid a
much as possible the buying of labor at hig
prices. Wheat al 65 cents Is down to a feedin
basis, and it would help to solve our problem
million bushels of it could be mede into seve
cent pork.
After the noon intermission Gideon Seymou
read paper, subject. Give the Farm Credi
DUE" We hear SO much said of the poor, dow
tro0den farmer nowadays that We are almos
lead to believe the iarm an evil. But it can
made to appear that there is some good yet
the farm; let us give it the proper credit. AL
though farms will not sell today tor as muc
cash as 20 years ago. yet fer all practical pul
poses of home and a living. they are just
valuable as then. By far the larger number
farmers want the farm for the maintenance
themselves and their families, and when dor
with to leave to their posterity. Our farms al
better cultivated than ever before and rail-
better crops, and the grains, vegetables ar
fruits which they produce are just as valuab
for sustainil g life as ever before. And any
thing that we buy is just as cheap in porportio
as are our farms. He does not bslieve that OF
half the tanners suspect how much they g
from their falms. The farmer who lived we
and believed that lis farm did not pay him So
ayear, would find that to live as well in tow
would require salary of $500 to s., 600, Tol
sure the farmer does not have very much none
to spend. but he can make as good a living
he could with his capital in any other busines
his calling is not one OF ease, and he has nluc
to do in an individual and in a united capacit
for the good OF himself and of his country.
our Iarms raise good crop of boys and gir
and give US a sustenance. we should give it Il
credit due.
col Brigham's talk. Suggestions to Farm
ers' Boys who are ambitious" was excellen
and should have been heard by the boys, M
many OF lwhOm, unfortunately. were presen
He said among many things: 1t is all rigl
for the boy 10 De ambitious, to be desirous tC
fame and position. He wouldn't give a Gel
for boy who was not. But they generally loo
too far ahead. and not close enough to prese1
details. Learn to de thoroughly and well Il
work at hand. No one ever became truly gres
who old not pay close attention TO the lit
things, The boy must look carefully to the d,
tails. Then it is very important to get repl
tation for integrity. He should be careful
selecting his associates. A person Is known
the company he keeps. He should inform bim
self in public matters and so be able to di
charge the political duties OF life. but he shoul
not go early into so-called politics. If he b,
comes fitted for positions he will be sought on
Let him select his avecation carefully and wis
ly. Many good farmer has been spoiled
make poor preacher or lawyer. He should
careful in lie to exert good moral infiuenc,
Irregular at church. good people will be frient
ly to him. If found loafng on the streets Q
Sundays the opposite class will be his associat
It better to be recognized as fitted for the pt
sition you occupy than to fill an important pos
tion for which the people know you are nj