The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-12-14
FARMERS INSTITUTES.
An Enthusiastic Meeting of Maryland
Farmers in Baltimore.

astic meeting of Maryland farmers was held
at the Maltby House Oh Wednes lay afternoon
to formulate plans for the establishment of
farmers institutes under State control, TO
meet twice year in each county of the State.
Such institutes have been held in the past
IN various parts of the State under the direc-
ton of the Experiment Station of the Mary
land Agricultural College, but they have been
sadly hampered in their usefulness by the
lack of funds with which to pay for the trans
portation of the exhibits necessary to make
the institutes thoroughly successful in the
way of instructing the farmers in the best
and most economical way of raising the vari-
Gus crops, breeding cattle. etc.
The action of the meeting on Wednesday is
embodied in resolutions. which were unani-
mously adopted, providing that the chairman
'appoint committee of five to draft a bill
appropriating So, 900 annually for the estab-
lishment of farmers institutes, to meet twice
year in each county of the State. and to
Introduce it in the legislature during the
early days of the session. There is also to
be appointed a committee of twenty-three,
one from each county in the State, two of
whom shall be President X. w. Sylvester of
the Agricultural College, and Mr.. H. o.
Devries. chairman of Wednesdays conference.
to arrange for the holding of model farmers
institute in Annapolis about the middle of
January next. The resolutions also provide
"that the members of the meeting attend that
| Institute. taking their wives with Them
The meeting was organized by the election
OF Mr.. II. o. Devries, of Howard county.
chairman, and Mr.. W. b. Sands. of Baltimore
county, secretary. No time was lost in intro
ducing President Sylvester. who made an
address. in which he gave the reasons for the
proposed establishment of the institutes In
part. he said: Timer" are 10000 farmers.
! assessed at 800 900, in the State Every
element is taxed. and while we do not object
to this. we do not want other property
exempted. Tn" institutes will SEQ to this.
The average yield OF crops in Mary land is far
below what il should be. and the institutes
will seek to remedy this by giving adequate
ana correct instruction ON all the points rea-
tive to advanced methods of Agriculture
| There are farmers institutes in Wisconsin. New
I ''''''
cmin"ntly successful" He stated that the
meeting was the result of one or two con-
munications with 500 farmers in the State,
after holding an institute in the Dansyil!c
district of Prince Georges county. He rec
o:nmcnIcd the holding of IL model institute
at Annapolis for the benefit of the legislators,
and the resolution to that effect went through
wi q n,a
what the institutes were for, and when Mr.
Eidwood Baldcrston, of this county, said they
were to teach farmers to raise jersey, Hol-
stein and Guernsey cattle instead Of the
scrubs now produced, and to elevate agri-
culture above tho mental occupation it now
is. he was applaudcd as was President Sill
vester when he jumped up and said To
replace thr"C-cent tobacco with ten-cent: to
do away with twelve bushels of wheat to the
acre; to replace $50 guano with S1S guano."
The inquiring member then asked if the insti-
tutes would get the increased prices and
would do away with trusts and monopolics
Among those present were: J. b. Ager. W.
McChesney, A. L. Ray, Prince Georges
county: Col. Enoch b. Noyes H. b. Nc
DoweL, II. $. Coudon. L. L. Ewing. Ceci'
county; Thomas b. Todd, c. A. Councilman,
y. Chenoweth, c. I. Cockey. T. Won Kapfr,
Col b. T. Taylor, Richard Vincent, Jr.
George II. Merryman. John Ridgely of H.,
Alexander Mccormick, Jr., Thomas J. Lea,
Baltimore county: L. p. Thomas, Asa NJ.
Stabler II. II. Miller. c. Il. Hurtshorne, A. l..
Burdette, William Rich, j. T. Bentley, Dr. A.
Stabier. Montgomery county; T.. l.. T. Hard
castle. Talbot county: \. Rider, II. NJ. Murray
james Cheston, Anne Arundel county: VIM
Amos. A. II. Hull j. Z. Hopes, c. l.. Val.
Price HOPES, David L. Tucker, Hartford
county. Thos" present from the Maryland
Agricultural College We're President r. W.
Sylvester. Prof. Patterson Director Miller
and John s. liobinson.
Later in the day Chairman Devries named
this committee to draft the bill which is to be
presented to the Legislature: Rev. r. w. Sill
vester, of the Agricultural College; Vim. $.
Powell, of Howard; ID. NJ. Nesbitt, of Prince
Georges; William Il. Sands, of Baltimore
county: Arthur Stabler of MONTGOMERY