The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-02-23

grass He seemed to be under the
impression there we're still vast areas
Of this nutritious grass existing on
the plains which 10 q mistake. That
grass is almost extinct. AS soon as
the white man appears with his tame
herds, the Buffalo or bunch grass
disappears, and the blue stem prairie
grass. native of the regions near the
great rivers, takes possession of the
soil till it 10 turn lie driven out by
cultivation. Buffalo grass did not
clothe the ground 10 thick sward-
like coat, as the speaker had been led
to suppose, about 8 or 4 inches high.
On the contrary it is 9 thin hungry
looking grass growing IN punches.
with tue naked soil visible among
the small punches which grow
ten to twelve inches in hight,
the lunches tapering from tall CEN
ter stalks to shorter spears on the
outer edge of the bunch.
Mr.. Bslderst0n was followed by
Prof. R. H. Miller, Director of Md.
Agricultural Experiment Station.
His subject was the Relation of the
Experiment Station to the Farmer"
This the Professor explained, and
pointed out the many advantages
this modern institute with it's scien-
tific Investigation, is capable Of
comforting on the farming community
By practiiacal tests aided by the un-
locking of natures secret by chemis.
try the Agricultural Experiment Sta
ton is destined to raise the future
farmer up and place him beside. if not
above, the most exalted professions
in the economy of modern civilizs-
ton, if the present race of farmers
are found equal to the demands of
advancing civilization. If he is
found wanting in this respect he must
step down and give place to a class
who will place their brain at the top
and the farmer as we know him with
his Drawn at the bottom. He must
move with the procession of the
sciences or find place in the rear
and at the bottom The farmer who
says he sees no use IN organization
will drop into the place assigned him
by Providence at the rear and the
bottom as certain as the spheres roll
IN the Universe.
The morning session closed with
Professor Miller's lecture and an ad.
journment was had till l:3O %. N.
The afternoon session opened with
answering numerous questions which
had been assigned, at the conclusion
of which Mrs. Alice G. Shippers was
introduced and read her essay on
'Ragweeds." This was a remarkably
we'll written and ingeniously manag-
ed composition, which, taking the
form Of an allegory. gradually devel-
ops into an argument for and de
tense of, women's right to become q
voter. The eloquent rendering OF
the essay by Mrs. Shippers brought
out all the pathos, wit and pungent
sarcasm with which it was
charged like an electic cloud. The
treatment by the gentleman of the
cloth accorded the women, in deny
ing them place in Conference, ex.
cited the combatative instinct of the
essayist and her defiance coupled
with denunciation for their treatment
of her sex is likely to be adiudged
too harshly by the respectable con
servatives who march in the rear of
early reform as their critic sat
irically expressed it.
Prof. Fl B. Patterson of Nd.
Agricultural Experimental Station
closed the Institution with a remark.
ably instructive lecture on "Ferti-
lizers-Their Application and Value"
This discourse attracted a great
deal Of interest on the part of the
farmers who piled the Professor with
many questions at it's close His
answer in relation to sheep sorreI
being the product of sour soil. which
has been pretty generally entertained
or rather surmized by farmers, was
exploded completely. The acid in
the sorrel, the lecturer assured them
was not derived from the soil, but
entirely from the atmosphere. The
reason sorrel takes possession of the
land, is because some Of the constit
uents necessary to the growth of
plants of higher order, have
been exhausted, and sorrel finding
conditions favorable to its growth
and no other plants interfering
steps in as it were, to take the place
assigned it in the economy of nature
to keep the ground clothed with yer.
dure. sorrel is q message from the
Infinite to man telling nina bis land is
declining in fertility; so in place of
sorrel being the farmers enemy it is
kind herald sent to apprise man
that be is growing careless of the
talent he hss been entrusted with.
Every thing had been SO NICELY
planned that at the hour appointed