Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1894-01-25
THE FARMERS.
Summary of the Proceedings of the
Institute Held at this Place
Last Week.

Summary of the Proceedings of tn
Institute Held at this Place
Last Week.
A larger attendance than usual wa
present at the opening of the Farmers
Institute, Thursday morning. DR.. Webb
of the Methodist Church, made the pray
er. President ]. B. McMechaD then pre-
sented his address of welcome. He salt
that the farmer in these hard times Ii
the most fortunate man on earth, becaus'
he is sure of his living. Hard times viii
not affect the fertility of his land. Ther'
will be over one hundred and fifty lnsti
tutes held in Ohio this winter. Mr.. Nc
MechaD cited the accusation that th'
farmer takes better care of his bloode6
stock than of his wife, and hoped that i
might be proven untrue. He urged thu
farmer to take an agricultural paper
urged him to be generous to the present
needy, and warmly welcomed all to the
Institute.
JF. Young spoke on How can we In
crease the Fertility of our Soils?" Drain
age is imperative, and he uses timber for
drains. Subsoiling is necessary; the un.
der soil should not be brought to the sur
face, but should be stirred with a plow
adapted to the work. 1t is necessary to
prevent wash-outs, and this can best be
done with blue grass sod. 1t is well to
keep the ground shaded as much as pos
sib,e.>E Farmers keep too much live stock.
Pasturing ground does not rest it. Stock
had better be kept off the land and the
grass cut for them. Weeds and stubble
should be cut in August, and clover should
be plowed under. A long rotation of crops
is desirable; commercial fertilizers had
been failure with him.
Mr.. McKelvey emphasized the impor-
tance of clover cultivation, explaining
how its long roots bring uprichness from
below, and how it accumlates free nitro
gen, potash and phosphoric acid. Mr..
Watson read from experiment reports to
the effect that commercial fertilizer had
never paid for itself in increased crops.
Mr.. Mcfarland told of alot in WOos
ter which without fertilizer bad produced
thirteen good crops of potatoes and one
of wheat. Mr. Cash said that fertilizer
had done him little good; he also thought
that nothing equals clover, and said that
there is money in hogs if they are fed on
clover cut when in full bloom and
steamed for feeding. Mr.. Thomas had
never profted by the use of commercial
fertilizer. Prof. Hunt said that each
man must determine for himself wheth-
er it would pay Mr.. McKelvey thought
that manure in heap wastes, and should
be hauled direct from stable to field,
which view Mr.. Young modified by say
ing that manures should be kept in the
stable or in shallow heap outside until
il should rot.
After noon John Watson spoke on
What Lines of Agriculture Can East
ern Ohio Farmers Engage in with Profit
Under Existing COnditions?' He said
that while the existing conditions are
bad, yet the farmers are not going about
begging. Near the river, cabbage, toma-
toes, sweet corn and onions are profita-
BILE. Farther out corn is always pay
ing crop. Even under depression, hay at
$40 a tor, and l 4 tons to the acre, will pay.
Hogs are sometimes profitable, and cattle
at AZ cents pay well. Wool at 20 cents
does not pay, and if the price continues
at that figure the fiocks of Eastern Ohio
will diminish. Mr.. Watson referred to
the time a Democratic Legislature OF
Ohio recommended raising the wool tai :
iff, and urged that Democrats shOnld
now insist that their Representative vote
for the rates of '67, If they put wool on
the free list" said he. e / have not much
ito say" Milk, poultry and horses are also
profitable, if closely attended to. The
farmer, said Mr.. Watson, should adopt
one of the many lines of farming and
stick to that line.
r. G. Hoge, discussing the same topic,
said that it would be good idea to raise
Cain, for prices have been f., Nag and
taxes rising. Just now, when prices are
low, would it not be good idea to raist
brains? Let the land lie fallow, and go
in for education. He thoue there is
money in hogs, and in fruit, and urged
sthat stock for the market should be got
to the market quickly, or half the profit
is lost.
Ross Cowen then read valuable paper
on Small Fruits as Mortgage Lifters .
On a small farm which three years ago
She had bought and which was the pas
tured out, full of briers, loose stone and
swamps, he had cleared in one year by
raising Strawberries, raspberries, ,currants
and gooseberries, S14l0 and another year
S2476. For these fruits he said rich
clay loan is best, sandy soil being good
only for early varieties. The land should
be high, well drained and sheltered from
the north. He said that berries are
healthful, and farmers should raise more
of them in place of wheat, potatoes and
meat. Mr.. Cowen answered satisfactori
ly many questions asked him.
J. ii. Denham read paper on "Ths
National Road: Its Condition, and How
to Better It." This road was built from
1915 to 1926, and cost six and a half
million dollars. 1t needed no repairs fol
twenty years after its construction. A
wagon load in those days was 5000 pounds
and great speed was attained. He sait
that the road has continually deteriorated
and charged bad management in break
ing and spreading stone and in draining
To improve these conditions he though
it would be well to let out the road il
sections to competent men to keep il
shape, to establish stone yards and us
otona mashars for hreakinU stone IT.