Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-12-15

DAIRY CONVENTION.
The Meeting at Foxcroft Grows
intensely Interesting.
A Hunter Accidentally Kills Himself
While Alone in the Woods.
softs Berwick Nan Charged Mia AsssE-
oriassen Postmaster in Trssbis.

| Fox foF5, Dec. IL (Specialt so
| great vas the interest In the various DAIRY
nsnipuiaEofs that early in the morning s
large number were early in the hall. Sec
retary Mekeen vas operating shs Babcoek
test. Mr.. Samuel Hall of Shapleigh and
| Mr.. L. J. Parker Of Portland were engaged
/ in churning, and Mr.. Beat Of the nrn Of
Cooley Brothers, Boston, was busy in his
expert examinations of butter and cheese.
| The people interested in these several p:o-
eesses were numerous and the operations
were watched with great satisfaction and
/ somewhat Of anxiety. So much time vas
taken up with these features that il was
nearly ii O'Clock before the chairman
called To order for the regular programme
of the forenoon.
The frs; lecture was that by Prof. Wal
ter Balentine Of the State college on the
Relation of Dairying TO the Fertilizer
Grade In this lectare Prof. Balentine
explained in a very clear and inteliigible
manner the general nature of the soil of
Maine. and the amount and kind of fertili-
ger TO bring the best results. He used the
the term .'bslsnced fertilizers. and ex-
piained that for most Maine soils one part
Of nitrogen and three or four parts OF phos-
phoric acid wouh give good results. The
soils of Maine generally respond well to
phosphoric acid. He thought il would not
pay to apply $50 pounds Of nitrogen TO the
acre for corL in this State. Farmers should
balance ap their farm manures with phos-
phoric acid, in growing hay or grain. II is
not well for il does not pay to fesd
COWS high and have cold barn IN
which TO keep then-there is too
much waste. Good cultivation will aid 10
bringing out from the soil the manurial
value of feed given A herd. Well-drained
land makes the soil better and manures act
more readily and with better results. Such
soils will be mois, and yield nourshment to
the crop, when gndrained soils will be dry
and the crops upon them suffering. Great
importance was laid upon the growth Of the
legemin0ds crops. such as peas and clover
for feeding TO dairy stock. as such crops
are great nitrogen gatherers; and a good
three-years rotation would be clover, corn,
grass. But on heavy clays clover does not
do as well as on lighter soil, as it
is liable to throw out from the
action of frost. In general our dairy farm
ers should endeavor to largely dispense
with the highly nltrogenous commercial
manure, ard instead grow more largely Of
the nitrogen gathering crops for feeding to
the cows In ton Of cotton seed meal,
costing s2G, there is manurial value left
of $40, provided ali the voidings from the
stock to which il vas fed could be saved.
Ia the use Of soluble phesphorIc acid Prof.
Balentine said that he would use il in the
trenches behind the cows and let it go in
with the draining and absorb the liquids, or
in other words use it in place Of gypsum.
.e,l "a top dressing he would use it so as
To apply GOO pounds per acre. Dissolved
bone black could be used in the same way.
Following the lecture of Prof. Balentine,
Prof. Jordan. director Of the Maine Exper-
inent Station, gave a clear and very salts
factory description of the principle of the
Babcock milk test. explained its history,
and practical workings in the dairy, from a
business standpoint. lie tested a sample
of milk for the presence of butter fat be-
fore the audience, explaining clearly
every step in the work to the understand
ing of all who heard him. Prof. Jor-
dan was the first person in Maine TO
advocate tire use of this machine, aud it
must come into general use in the cream
cries end daires of Maine before the busi-
ness can be put upon just and equitable
basis for all the patrons. The use of this
little apparstu. has reyolutionized all the
uncertainties formerly existing in the man
agement Of daiiies by the inch or space
systems-e hich were systems OF injustice,
giving opportunity for frsud-snd placed 1t
upon a sound, correct, just basis. Its value
was testified to by the results OF the
dairy test at the Worlds FAIR
when the butter fat in thousands OF
tests was accurately determined to the
amount of one-tenth of | per cent, The
Babeock test has been ratified by science |
and its use must become general.
A large number of questions followed
Prof. Jordans lecture and the forenoon
session was very interesting. So engaged
were the people present in asking questions
and in getting at the bottom facts OF the
snhisct. that bv vote of the audience Prof.
.Jor.sn was given extra time to continue his
lecture uninterruptedly during the noon
hour, and it was nearly o'clock before an
adjournment was called for.