Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-12-08
THE FARMERS INSTITUTE,

space; with its mantle OF air, WHICH aiono
IS free to all mankind; and its surface OF
soil and water, on which we live; Is the
planet we call the Earth.
The products of this Earth keep us alive
for our appointed time, and after death the
Earth absorbs our bodies as completely as
it does any other of natures elements.
| 1t is the father, and the mother, and the
ancestor of all of us-we are part and par
| eel of it.
| The cultivation Of the soil of this planet is
the natural and necessary work OF perhaps
one half of the human race, and probably
always will be. This work was done IN
ages gone by in a careless manner, and
with crude implements that suited the re-
| quirements of the times; but the DONNA
ton of the white race, aud its tremendous
| increase, the natural desire to annihiiate
\ drudgery so far as possible, the mechanical
inventions and the chemical discoveries
have now brought about such conditions in
farming, as in every other branch OF indus
try, that perfection alone insures complete
success.
| Ii was the desire TO attain such perfec-
ton that led to the establishment OF the
State Board of Ag riculture, with an exper-
| mental station; and an appropriation
sufficient to defray the expenses oil holding
| institutes or me etings Of farmers IN each
county in the state.
The Institute for this county met in the
| ~ n -. Dus lar EridQU mnrnluR
last, the lst inst, and was called to order
| by W. III. H. Riddle, Esq, member OF the
Board for this county, and to whom must
be given great credit for his untiring ef-
forts 10 create an interest IN the work in
this county-efforts that at last have met
with unqualified success.
| Friday last was our first winter weather
day, and at the opening of the session that
morning but few farmers were present,
but tn ey came strolling in from all
over the county, until by noon there was
fair attendance.
Hon. d. b. Douthett was elected Presi-
dent, and in his opening remarks said We
were all laborers and pr )ducers. and that the
farmer produced the great bulk of the food
products. Messrs A. D. Weir, Christie
Robb, James Stephenson and BENZ.
Douthett were elected Vice Presidents,
and j. A. McCafferty, Of Herman, Secre-
tary.
James M. Galbreath, Esq, made the ad-
dress Of welcome. He said, In part, that
| heEarth was the mother of us al, that we all
prayed Give us this day our daily bread" F"
that the farmers should organize to secure
| legislation in their favor, that we should
realize that we are living in great age,
| t1at one man can do az much work now
a, six could thirty years ago. that we
should re-adjust ourselves TO the new con-
dtions, that to be successful we must lock
| to the future; that these institutes were
evidences that the farmer was beginning to
appreciate himself, etc.
j. A. McCaHerty responded in an elo-
quent description Of tie age we live in,
| which he thinks excells those of ancient
times, hoped the institute would be sue
cess, etc.
Judge Weir read an essay on. wheat cul
ture, stating his method Of treating the soil
before and after cropping. He believes in
rolling after drilling. and has made sue
cess of wheat raising. He stated that this
county produced GOO, 900 bushels Of wheat
annually, which could be increased TO
million.
Dr. Irvine gave his experience with fer
tilizers; and Isaac Ash said it was not prof
table to raise wheat on small farm here,
but Judge Weir stated that the wheat
acreage Of this county averaged better
than those Of all the States of the Union,
excepting two, also that the average in
this State was between Ia and 10 bushels,
while the reports Of the threshers Of this
county made IL 20 bushels, and IL could
safely be put at ls. He thinks cross-
drilling is not desirable.
J. NJ. Mccullough also read an essay on
wheat culture. lie believes in early and
thorou h blowing and narrowing, also III
dragging the ground to break Jumps,
pluws his manure under, uses 200 pounds
of commercial fertilizer To the acre, keeps
his seed clean, drills in September, thinks
the drills protect the plants, favorS deep
blowing, uses Foltz uheat, does not favor
fall rolling though soil may make differ
ence.
L. b. Terry, Of Hudson, Ohio, "a town
about 20 miles south Of Cleveland) has
nsed roller for "a years, but he rolls be.
fore drilling and not after; he gets from 30
to 35 bushels an acre, and thinks his sulkey
cultivatur with which he harrows ths
ground over aud over again IL responsible
| for from 10 10 10 bushels Of IL, he uses
clean grain even if he has TO go over 1t by
hand, his wheat, which is only the old
| Folrz selected and cleaned, has Teputa-
tion and he sells IL at an advance; he pre-
| fers close drill (say z inches) but gets
Just a. good results from broadcasting II the
soil is well prepared; he has produced 80
bushels To the acre year alter year lie
/ tn inks "littie farmer" can not Afford to
do without good tools, as delays often cost
more than the tools. He sows about bu.
and qts to the acre between the 10th
/ and 18th Of September "a little more II
sown lat.r) and drills in about inches.
Secretary Edge stated that 1900, 900
was spent yearly in this State Tor com
mercial fertilizers. That the best were
ecnposed uf YrUPhUfc acid, potash aud