St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-24
MINNEAPOLIS.
THE BEST FED ON EARTH.
HON. GEORGE 7. POWELL SAYS THE
AMERICANS IRE SUCH.
STATE FARMERS, INSTITUTE.
The Annual Meeting Convened In
Century Hall Yesterday =
Goodly Representation Of the
Sturdy Yeomanry OF the State
distinguished Visitors Pres
ent-Interesting Papers.

Tx udIuH anu IiilCltlsCuU 1CO.Idlt1
of Minnesota were represented at Cen
fury hall Yesterday morning when
nearly 500 delegates to the annual
meeting of the state farmers institute
answered to the roll call.
The meeting was called to order by
Supt. o. &. Gregg, of Minneapolis, the
president of the institute, Prof. Shaw
acting is secretary. In calling the as
Semblage to order Supt. Gregg de
livered a short address. in which he re-
ferred to the success OF the institute and
to the enthusiasm manifested at the re-
cent meetings. Among the prominent
people present were Hon. George L.
Powell, superintendent of the Farmers
Institute of New York; Theodore Louis,
the eminent authority on swine hus-
bandry, of Wisconsin. and a man Of ma
tional regulations; w. l.. Carlisle, of
Canada. who has made a praiseworthy
reputation as an expert in dairy mat
tiers, and last, but not least, Mrs. Ida C..
TilSon, the famous raiser OF fine poul-
try.
The meeting proper was opened with
an address by George L. Powell upon
the Fertility of the Soil"
He placed especial emphasis upon
the blind destruction of the powers of
the soil going on all over the country,
and sounded a note of warning against
it. Farmers" said the speaker, "are
~eXhauSting the fertility of their farms
in a manner which will sOon render
their fields worthless"
The ruin has been going on for ages.
The Pilgrim settlers first cleared their
acres n began the raising of cereals.
Generation after generation following
have followed up The raising of cereals
| until the vitality of the soil in many
| states has become wholly exhausted.
Mr.. Powell stated that in his tour
through Minnesota he has found many
farmers who have been raising wheat
OH the same acres for thirty successive
years. In each case the farms so abused
were fast losing the vitality which had
| speaker urged that the fields be put in
corporation with live stock in order
that the fields may rest. In every ton
of wheat taken from the soil there are
IS worth of valuable chemicals, while
the ton of wheat today would not sell
for more tina $40. Offsettiug this. a
ton of butter would sell for $500, while
the soil would be depleted of only 80
cents worth of chemicals. Mr.. Powell
argued In favor of restoring the vast
forests of the state by beginning the
planting or trees.
DIR. j. C. Curryer, of Mankato, fol-
lowed with an able address OIL The
treatment and education of horses, and
in this connection he laid down a COM
prehensive code of rules for the break
ing of colts.
The next paper was by Mrs. Ida q.
Tilson on raising poultry. She sug-
gested many valuable points concerning
the care OF chickens, their God and
management. The speaker. who is
herself Il skillful poultry raiser, stated
that the extreme limit of egg production
was about $50 eggs per hen per annum
This limit. however, is very rarely at
tanned. Mrs. Tilson has succeeded in
inducing her W flocks to produce as
high as 159 eggs per year each, which is
a large showing.
Theodore Louis spoke upon the care
and shelter of swine, showing up many
abuses practiced by the average farmer.
Mr.. Louis began the raising of hogs in
1876, with the object i'll view of making
it a scientific study. The speaker eX-
hibited models of swine stables, show
ing clever improvements. The treat
ment of hogs in winter was given Spe-
cial attention. The speaker illustrated
his method of ascertaining the exact
amount of live flesh which can be
formed from a stated amount of food.
Mr.. LoniS Is a champion of the hogs.
He believes in giving the porcine as
good treatment as any other animal.
People seem to believe that the hog
is the meanest, dirtiest, filthiest animal
on the farm. 1t is my experience that
the hog is the cleaneSt, tidieSt and best
animal. 1t is only the dirty keeper who
keeps the dirty hog"
A feature of the afternoon session
consisted in the presence of 100 stu
dents from the state agricultural COL
lege at Hamline. They wore gray uni
forms, and were given the front seats
in the hall.
At the afternoon session a number of
interesting addresses were given, prin-
cipal among which was that of Hon.
George Il. Powell. who spoke OH matters
relating to the labors of the farm. He
expressed himself as surprised at the
magnitude of the farming II of
Minnesota. and is taking a live interest
in his investigations. New York state,
SAYS Mr.. Powell, is falling behind as a
cereal state because of the rapidly de.
creaSing fertility of the soil. The mill
ions which are spent annually in the
Empire state for fertilizers can in NO
way compensate for what nature has
lost by reason of the un~Scientific farm
ing of the average farmer.
He then proceeded to address the con
vention OH the value of Market Gar.
dening."
"Americans." said the speaker. ssare
the best-fed people on the earth, and
this is one reason for the immense
energy and enterprise of the nation.
One branch of the enterprises which Is
of immense import is that of market
gardening." The speaker. in dealing
with the feature of fertilizers, urged
thet farmers use more care in compos-
ing manure heaps, so as to aid in the
work of decomposition, and to prevent
fermentation. Fertilizers lose a large
per cent of their value by waste, evap'
Grafton and fermentation, unless prop.
erly compressed.
Mr.. Powell did not think that in thi.
country sufficient attention was PLACED
in the propagation and selection O
vegetable seeds. In this branch Ger
man farmers are ahead of the American
farmer.
This was followed with able addresse
by William Somerville on the Hand
ling of Small Fruit;" Theodore Loui
on the Art of Feeding Swlne," and al
address by Prof. Thomas Shaw on TIN
Chief Principles Which Govern Wee
Eradication"
Last nights programme was as fol
lows:
l. ''Iuberculosis Consumption il
Cattle"-Its Prevalence-Danger to HUI
man Life-As Affecting the Milk of tn
Dairy Cow, and the Meat of Beef Ami
mals-ltS Cause and Preventive Meas
ures, DR.. NJ. II. Reynolds.
2. agricultural Education in Gu
Public Schools"-1mportant to Farmer
as Producers. and to City Consumers
Hon. George L. Powell.