Morning journal and courier., 1892-12-21
FARmERs IN coNyENrIoN.

FARMERS IN CONVENTION. q
Ieetings Held at warner Hall Morn
ing, Afternoon and Evening Yes. q
terday-many Present From All s
Over the State-Many Interesting :
Papers-Good Country Roads Well I
Cons1dered - Reception by the !
MAJ or TO-night-To.day'sS Sessions. ,
The annual farmers convention, under ]
The auspices of the Connecticut state board
Of agriculture, opened its three days. ses-
zion at Warner hall yesterday morning at
10 O'Clock. Representative farmers to the
number of 800 were present from every
county in the state. On tables, in the rear
of the hall, were cases containing samples
Of different kinds of grain, fruit and farm
products, in addition to many photographs
of farm scenes and rare varieties of fruit
and grain.
The convention was called to order by
Hon. E. q. Hyde, vice president of the
state board of agriculture. The first
thing on the program was q vocal selection
by quartette headed by 8. P. Cornish
and Miss Cornish of Greenwich, which was |
followed by prayer by President D wight |
of Yale. Miss Cornish then sang solo |
and Mayor Sargent delivered the address |
of welcome, which was appropriate and |
felieitous.
Mayor Sargent then announced that re-
ception will be held at his home this even
ing from 8 to II, and invited all the mem
bers of the convention and their friends to
be present.
Secretary T. s. Gold read letter from
Governor Bulkeley regretting his inability
to be present at the convention.
Hon. E. q. Hyde, presiding officer of
the convention and vice president of the
state board of agriculture, then delivered
brief address, opening the convention.
In his speech he remarked: ttAnd I take
great pleasure also in referring to the oc-
caaion when the Scientific school at Yale
gave free course of lectures and invited
the scientific men from all over the coun-
try to speak at the same. This institution
has always opened Its doors to us and &C.
corded us every privilege To President
Dwight for his kindness we are greatly in
debted."
A selection was then rendered by the
quartette and ]. M. Hubbard of Middle
town was introduced. He read an interest
ing paper on Progressive Agriculture"
In the course of remarks he said: "The
scientists may not always know, but heholds
the key to the great storehouse of knowl-
edge, and by joining with the farmer may
tell him much that is good, and also learn
not little from the practical knowledge
| of his brother. The farmer is to be the
partner of the scientist in exploring the
| fields of vital energy, aud in the farmers
| union with the scientist foresee great re-
| suits"
Next the quartette rendered selection,
| and President Dwight invited the members
/ IF fho foxy MI ik Lr,il
| ings, and suggested Thursday afternoon as
the best time. The convention then ad-
| journed until 2 o'clock.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION
| Opened with short ffteen-minute speech
by Mr.. w. Il. Burr on "Good Roads Ne
cessity-What They Are" He spoke of
the great advantage of stone roads and the
increased value of farms which lie along
their route. Farms in Pennsylvania lying
back from the road have constantly depre-
eiated In value. They are, too, much
cheaper in the end than the common
roads. Teams can move heavier loads and
there is very little wear and tear to either
the horse and wagon or the road This
kind of road is in use ell through the prin-
cipal countries of Europe. The effect of
the road is to bind agricultural communi-
ties much closer together. -
Mr.. Edwin P. Augur followed in another
fifteen minute address on "Good Roads
the Work of the Engineer" He spoke of
the strong necessity of having good roads,
and to have them laid out by civil ngi-
neer, trained to do this kind of work. He
should eecure good grades and a proper
drawing up specifications for the contract
or to work upon, and he should pre-emi-
nently make it his business to see that the
contractor does carry out his contract.
Mr.. r. s. Human followed in a speech
on "Good Roads; How to Make and Keep
Them. Use of Materials" After a brief
introduction he made q few very interest
ing remarks on the roads in his own town,
Oxford. He said in part: .tAnother diff
Guilty with our country sroads-one to a
certain extent curab1e-is that we as farm
ers, called upon under the present system to
| work them, when we honestly desire to Improve
| US. We believe In filth on the farm, and the
| plow as an implement, and we take it with us on
the road and use it in a mastery manner. That
days.
| the man who thinks he can satisfy the Inspector
years ago bid off something over mile of road
| had received $50 per year for several terms of
three years, but mad to bid down to $I2 so to
Il
tary to open gutter not pillow has been used
on the road since bid it off.
plenty Of mud holes IN wet W Wsagr there her
OF sand at other times, but at present there are
ns cbea At edd when the york could be
both d d sA'e' HAS 'een car''d to remedy
Mud holes are best filled when they need it the
most. When the frost is coming cut of the
| ground in the spring or at any tims when there
} | Is plenty Of mud you can utilize pretty coarse
gravel by raking the larger stones into the deep
Il wifi fnor
The mud cements the WHOLE and before YOU
| know it you have road as easy ana much more
pleasant to travel over than if macadamized
Sand is %1 81 difficult In sandy places the rav
dump load Of gravel in place to All
this this dep depression: make narrow road
un in sand and one on gravel Il they s' are let.
they must be raked off When they eoms on ' ths
surfaoesand by q little judicious carelessness in
tracks am able to Persuade those VINO trase
my road to follow the straight and narrow way.
in little piles to add emphasis After the track
is once beaten SO that dumb brute will know
eni!ousa to f9lSw it. the loose stones ana little
That road feu to me few weeks ago second
time at the old price, $40 per year. A passer by
Of road between Birmingham and New Milford.
distance Of twenty-six miles, and will guaran.
mantan that highway absout e1 free fe
obstructive mud or sand at all seasons at less
| cost than it was maintained when it was alter
nately plentifully interspersed with mud holes
or Questionable on account of dust and
| growing more difficult to keep in repair on ac
| count Of continual plowings and washings it shall
| co less as the road grows better. There is one
| thing you can rely on: a brook and a roadbed
| can never profitably occupy the same ground
| Water should never even cross road on the s,lr-
| face. When it becomes necessary to get it
across, put in sluice. 1t is cheaper in the end,
besides enabling you to use a V-shaped water
| wagon, harness and team, as the combined ditch
l and mound built slantiRg across the road does
| remember hearing In my younger DAYS
| neighbor much older than Twas complaining That
| plowed off the shoulders" The term was new
| to me, but found that he referred to those ele.
| vations along the side of the travelled path be.
tween that and the gutter, that prevent any
| or hollow where it can pond and run over the
shoulders. As an absolute bar to a decent road
there Is nothing quite equal to good substantial
shoulders, and il pillow is allowable anywhere
| on a road 1t Is to get rid of them.
The roadbed should always be higher than any
| ground between it and the gutter. Never lower
l 1t by digging out DEEPEST stones that become
| uncovered by wear. Cover them up aeain-not
with couple Of sods from the roadside, but with
| a load Of gravel.
Mr.. J. q. Hale then followed in an ad-
dress on sGood Roads, When Required.
and Cost" He said in part: "Good roads
will be required at all times, on all leading
public highways just as soon as majority
of our people can be brought to the realiz-
ing sense of the fact that this is an age of
progress, and that at certain seasons Of the
year but mighty little progress can be
made on the maioritv of our hfoh wavs oa