Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-02-11

official capacity Or otherwise TO promote
the welfare of the state ag1icuIturaI
society
President g. X. Adams was presented
who said that he could not claim To have
made as great eXertions TO be present
at this meeting of the society as Gov
Reck did to reach that of year ago
The minutes Of last years convention
showed, be said that Gov. Peck walked
from Washington to Madison, distance
Of LOO miles, that ne might be present
at that meeting President Adams said
that he could see no other reason for This
padcs cian feat than ihat he was prac-
Jirine spinning for the great nun he
made last fall
The present has roots in tho mast
said the speaker we are what we
arc because Of our parents. There are
certain tendencies in agriculture worthy
Of special mention which have been
operating during the past hundred years.
Changes in means Of transportation is
the first In England Il century ago
the movement started which trans
formed the eXecrable roads of that pe-
rod into the remarkable network of py-
cellcnt roads which now cover that
country. H. myself" said the speaker.
have seen on one of these English roads
a single horse move with ease a load
consisting Of twenty-seven barrels of
Hour There is also a fine system of
canals in England, completed in the
D. a
was the era Of rail Dad building in that
country, and the first year of Queen
Nictona's reign 1897, marked the trip
Of the first steamer across the ocean.
At about this time there was a revival
The speaker said that improved trans.
United States
The speaker said that improved Grams
portatou facilities have had the result
Of bringing agricustursts in diverse
parts OF the earth into competition with
each other The European farmer has
had his enterprise quickened by compe-
ulion from America and even from the
wheat fields Of India ana Russia. Tho
farmer Of New York and New England,
and perhaps, also, Of Wisconsin, feels
the competition Of the agIicultmists
of the far west, where the value Of the
land is onefourth its value here.
Scientific agriculture, he said, started
in the first quarter of the present cen
fury Although in ancient times there
were methods OF fertilizng wasted soils,
it was not brought to modern perfection.
Asia Minor. Northern Africa and Italy
are examples of lands once supporting
high civilization where the soil is now
Impoverished ana a great part Of the
country is "a great wilderness About
1870 IL began to be understood that by
"a slight addition Of elments soil might
hold its own or even be increased in pro-
ducuvcuess, If its composition is under
stood Agricultural colleges, expert
ment farms and associations were start
pd i'm Europe about the middle Of the
century and have steadily grown in
numbers and Influence The first move
mcut toward their establishment in this
country was made i'm 1862 by the Nor
Iiu land grant, which voted certain
amount Of land for the founding of an
agricultural college i'm every state in
the union President Adams said that
Cornell university has received $4,000
600 from lands in Wisconsin alone under
ths act Tie lands devoted to the
University Of Wisconsin were sold about
that time or a mere pittance. They
have ncttcd private individuals the prof
, lis which might have accrued to the
university, said the president, and il
is some satisfaction to know that this
capital can be taxed fnr the benefit ot
the university Senator Morrill, after.
ward secured a cash appropriation fol
This same purpose, and the Hatch bill
of 1887 providing for the establishment
Of agricultural experiment stations in
eath state is the most recent.
President Adams thinks it a profound
mistake to require farmers sons to enter
college after "a high school course. Agi
cultural school is, m his estimation, 3
moro appropriate name than agricultural
college Too large attachments in Ger
tain directions are required for entrance
ana there are too many studies in tn,
!, course, The presidents idea is that m
= agricultural school ought to be strictly
, technical as amy mechanical school Fo
au academic education students Shoul,
attend the academy, and for a coueg
F education, the college The successful
farmer hereafter must understand tn
@ soil animal growth, the best market
v The use of subtle means to ends, am
i how to get the largest growth from tn
h smallest outlay. I'm "a word, he mus
l. hc "a business man. lie needs a large
n intellect than his predecessor Of a hun
It drcd years ago, though not, perhaps, S
'- much in Wisconsin as in older states
Il DIR Adams recommends four method
# for gaining the necessary knowledge
g. L. study i'm institutions like an agricu
IS ural college; . Study of work of q,
2 pertinent stations 3. Work Of farmer
/, Institutes; (. Use Of first class ayr
r. cultural newspapers Education is abs,
$ mtely necessary,
n The following program win be presea
l. cd today: