The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1894-03-22
'T1HEINsTIT'|lu ! ] | {.

hEIMSIllUIE.
Recort of the State Farmers In
stitute held at Worthington,
March Goth, and 21st.
The Farmers Institute opened
Tuesday morning; the day was dark
and rainy, hence the prospect for q
large attendance was not cheering
However, before the noon hour arriv.
ed Masonic hall was well filed. The
Institute opened with short address
from Supt. Gregg, who expressed
the pleasure he felt in coming to
Worthington to hold an institute,
He had observed on the way from
Luverne that considerable corn was
cultivated. Some of it had evidently
been we'll cared for; he was pleased to
see the increased attention that was
being given to this crop. Theodore
Louis then spoke on the subject OF
corn raising in the Red River Valley
Seven years ago there was none
grown so far north, while now fair
crops are grown there. He says corn
can be raised successfully Is miles
north of St. Paul. He was called a
crank by his neighbors when he said
he was going to try to grow clover,
corn and hogs, and yet these three
had proved the sheet anchor of his
success in farming. He then dwelt
upon the mode of selecting seed. He
had practiced pulling off the first
ripe ears that were suitable for seed
as soon as the covering had turned
yellow. He then made a second Sc
lection from those while they were
being husked. While he was grow
ing crop of corn he was also grow
ing crop of boys and girls who low
ed the work of the farm. They as
sisted him in braiding the corn which
was hung up in the summer kitchen
where it was kept free from the in
fluences of fro stand dampness. He
preferred blowing in the fall, and he
plowed deeper than when he turned
it over in the spring.
>Supt. Gregg then spoke on soil
moisture. He had asked if the men,
beers of the Institute corps knew
everything, he said they did not but
some things they did know they knew
we'll. Foremost among these things
was the question of soil moisture.
Ordinarily shallow blowing was bet
ter for this section of the country
than deep blowing, yet it was neces-
sary occasionally to send the pillow
down deeper, but whenever this was
done an effort should be made to i'm
pact it by rolling it with roller furn-
ished with a system of wheels that
would impact the soil and at the same
time leave it with an uneven surface.
He had become strongly impressed
with the value of burning the stubble
and more especially in the spring as
if it was allowed to remain through
the winter it had tendency to ar
rest the snow. One important adj
vantage which arose from burning
the stubble arose from the amount
of weed seeds that where destroyed,
and another arose from the fact
that the dry mass was not then
turned under as in a dry season
there would be danger that it would
hinder the ascent of soil moisture.
Prof. then gave short address on
the School:of Agriculture at St. An.
thony Park. It was forging rapidly
ahead not only in the quantity of the
work done by it, but also in the quail
ity. of the same. The attendance
during the present winter was one
hundred and forty in the regula,
classes and with the students of the
dairy school added the whole num-
Der was about two hundred. He was
satisfied that those who were desirous
of attending next year should apply
early, as in all probability there
would be difficulty in accommodating
the very large number of students
that would undoubtedly seek adj
mission next season. The applica
tons should be sent to DIR. W. H
Brewster, the principal, St. Anthony
Park. He then dwelt upon the char
acter of the instruction given, which
included lectures on all the different