Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-03-02
Farmers Institute.


Farmers Institute.
The Institute convened at Mexic
in the U. z. Church on the 22nd an,
23rd of Feb, and was called to orde
by Prof. d. E. Robson, at 10 o'cloc
A. NJ. be is a member of the Boar,
of Agriculture and the manager O
the Institute. His rangemsnt
were complete and satisfactory. l
was seen at an early hour of the da
that the Institute would be a com
plete success for the trustees Of tn
church had the building open anc
warm in good time, the leading citi
zens of the town were there TO bid
glad welcome to the farmers as the,
came pouring in from all parts of thu
County. Entertainment for man anC
beast and willing hands to assist {
splendid choir of young folks with {
clear sky over head, n choice pro
gram, why would it not be a profit
able and pleasant meeting?
Rev. MIR. McBurney offered up q
fervont prayer in behalf of our fair
country, its rulers, its people, our
calling and our Institute.
The choir rendered a beautiful
anthem. Miss Jennie Wright pre-
siding at the organ and teacher Nc
Meen leading. This choir is a regu-
lar store house of music and from
this the most pleasing and entertain
ing pieces We're selected for the an
tire institute.
The paper on wheat culture by J.
L. Patterson WAS the first called for
by president E. Davis. 1t was a very
able paper. The wri CT stated that
lime and manure should never be
put together on the surface. This
remark precipitl'ed discussion
which resulted in this fact: Lime is
not manure or plant food at all,
but " makes available the plant food
already in the soil and operates as a
corrective to certain unfavorable con
ditions in it" These agreeing in
this were Llessr5 Kistler, Llntz,
Motzer, Heigcs, Beshore and Pat.
terson.
Top dressing was largely advocated
on the grounds that the tendency of
all fertility IS down ward by percola-
ton and gets out of reach of plant
roots.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
President Davis called the nesting
to order at half past one A large
amount Of preliminary business was
transacted.
A papsr on corn culture by NJ S.
Esh. This was highly interesting
production, discussion followed which
entered into the philosophy of far5il-
ization and DR.. Heiges clearly showed
from an ear of corn in the institute
that grains from but, r2ildle and
point of the ear should by all means
be planted to secure ears and q full
crop.
Care of the FIrm Horse" by
Wellington Smith was the next
paper No discussion followed, and
d. 3. DIcWilIians read 4 paper on
the best manner of applying manures.
A long discussion fOllowe | which re-
suited ip the following Barn y4rd
manure is the best of all fertilizers.
Fully one-half Of it is lost by care
lessness. Should be hauled on The
land as fast as it comes from the
stable. Cannct waste much on the
field. Should not be ploaed down
until rain falls upon 1t. At the bot
tom of the furrow plants will never
reach it. Discussed by Smith, Hover,
Kistler, Altman, Hejges and Davis.
EVENING SESSION
Prayer by Rsv. McBIrney, and an
anthem by the caoir, house very full.
Agricultural Chemistry by DIR. Hell
ges, we have full notes on this ad-
dress but by special request none
shall go in print. It was the plain
est and most satisfactory talk ever
given to the farmers here on this
subject A farmer of 20 years said
81 learned more of real farming in
that lecture than got in 80 years
on the farm.
Then followed a talk on What
kind of education the farmer needs"
by J. L. Altman, lecturer of the
State grarge.
He briefly alluded to a knowledge
of the natural sciences as being sse-
full to tho farmer. But political
economy, how laws are made, who
makes them, who executes them and
how they effect taxation, price of
farm produce, were problems that
bothered the average farmer great
deal more than how to raise larger
crops. Politicians tell US thsre is
over production any how and to learn
how to produce still more made it
still worse For years the politician
told as large foreign production
kept down the price OF grain, now
there is foreign deficit and we can
expert 300,000,000 of bushels Of
wheat still the price is falling What
is wrong7 Is our government taking
proper care of It's own farmers or is
1t not? The general resolutions Civ
ing the result of the orators address
were adopted at the morning session
Feb 23rd, without dissenting
voice.
Small fruit culture by DR.. Heiges
was next introduced
The gisto of this talk was that small
fruit culture was SO much abandoned
on account OF rAVages by insects,
fungi, &c, extending even to the
potato and apple. Thos. p Edge,
Secretary of the board of Agriculture
was now present and took part in
this talk The following mixture