Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-28
DISCUSSED BY FARMERS
Changers B. Il. Warner, Thomas Wilson
and Otis Mason Make Addresses.
The Farmers Institute at KensinEtOn
Papers of General Interest Read
Improving the Roads.

of institutes to be held at Kensington, con-
vened in the new town hall Wednesday at
II 80 am. Mr.. B. H. Warner, chairman of
the committee of arrangements, called the
neeting to order. He spoke of farming as
one of the ncblest pursuits, and pointed out
that agricultl rists were the bulwark of cur
pation. Upon agric Ilture the success of all
other industries rested. Farming should be
made to pay well, and in this respect Mary
land had great possibilities. Mr.. Warner
read letter of regret from Secretly ].
Sterling Morton, who was unable to be
present to read promised paper On 'Thc
Future Farmer" Spencer C. Jones, who
was also urabie to be present sent letter
i"stead detailing in a humorous way what
he Knew about farming. He had owned, he
said. the farm on which e large portion OF
kensington was built and was under the
necessity of parting with 1t to persistent
real estate agent at large price or else
killing the agent. He advised his farmer
friends to hunt a purchaser who would do
on their farms what Mr.. B. II. Warner had
done to his.
Major R. B. DERRICK in a few well-chosen
words introduced the president of the in
stitute, Professor H. c. Hallowell of Sandy
Spring. who read paper on TIE Farm
er's Home dealing in poetical quotations
regarding the natural beauties Of a farm
er's life. On the practical side he urged
the need of greater attention to sanitary
ant reading for the home circle.
Profe ssor Sylvester president of the
Agricultural College. spoke of the value
of experiments being made at the station
and their adoption by farmers in this vicin
ity in order to meet the close and intell
gent competition from the great west. He
deprecated the practice of sending the
brightest boys to the learned professions
and of keeping the weaker ones on the
farm. Brains We're at a greater premium
In farming than anywhere else.
Dr. Thomas Wilson, curator of Smithson-
ian Institution, read a paper on "Prehis-
and exhibit of the early agricultural i'm
PIGMENTS and their methods of use.
Old Machines.
Prof. Otis T. Mason of the National Mu-
scum illustrated the history of 1.-The Thresh-
ing Machine; Its History and Place in Civil
ization.' In brief, he said: Women in
vented and were the first users of the thresh-
ing machine; indeed, throughout the print
tive ages they were the only agriculturists,
as they are in France and Germany today.
The transition from natural to an artificial
basis of subsistence began when, long ago,
women went out to the rice SwampS
grassy plains with a rude basket on the
back, hung to tfeir foreheadS by a strap,
and having in their hands a wicker wand.
The basket was held in front of the grass
or rice, and with the wand the seeds We're
beaten into the basket. AS soon as it was
full she returned to her hut, put the seeds
into rude tray with hot stones, roasted
the seed, consumed the chaff and ground the
seed. This was the first lesson, and shows
that the header was invented long ago.
In classic times the sickle was the cutting
tool, and large plank with stones set I'M
derneath, called in Latin tribulum was the
thrasher. If you turn the plank into a
cylinder, the stone teeth into steel teeth. and
increase the velocity, you have the latest
steam machine In this simple apparatus,
Va rtrlA ,,T ,i,-
ton
Prof. Willis L. Moore, chief of the United
States weather bureau, detailed the work
ings of his bureau and of it's value to farm
erS.
Good Roads.
Prof. r. H. Miller of the Maryland agri-
cultural station read a well-prepared and
interesting paper on Good Roads" He
gave an Illustration of the great benefit to
be derived from good roads, and cited
cases that had come under MS observation.
In speaking of road that had been piked
to great advantage, Mr. Miller said: THE
value of land contiguous to this road, prior
to the construction of the turnpike, was
from ten to fifty dollars per acre, this he
Ing at time, too, when farming lands
were relatively much higher than they are
now. To-Day the same properties are val
ued at from forty to one hundred dollars
per acre; this increase being largely at
trilyutahle to the advent of good roads and
easy and rapid transit. Believing that the
time Is not far off when more compre-
henSive system of road management will
be inaugurated, when the counties will CO.
operate with eacn other, and they in turn
with the state, in placing our roads under
a more scientific and enlightened control
although believing that this is near at
hand nevertheless, until it comes, We must
not neglect our presen. opportunities; We
must get the very oest that is possible
to the office Of county commissioners the
very best men that can be obtained, there
by securing the appointment of road super
visors who are qualified for the duty, and
who should be residents on the road over
which they have control, thus inSuring a
personal interest in their work. While tie
failure in securing good roads is largely
attributable to improper men being placed
IN charge of them, it very frequently hap
pens that the farmers themselves are main
ly responsible. The supervisor may be
ever 50 anxious to put stone on the road,
but unless the farmer will cooperate and
deliver the stone little progress can be
made.
While thoroughly approve of the system
of piliing or metaling our roads, | recog-
nize The fact that there are many parts of
the state where stone is not available with
which to do the work. Where this is the
case. We must make the best of the re-
sources we have at our command that is
TO say, we must put the roadbed in the
comes upon it."
Mr.. Miller closed his remarks by quoting
a saying Of Lord Macauly: There are three
things which make nation rich and pow
erful: Fertile soils, busy workshops and
easy transportation"
Gen. Roy Stone continued the subject of
good roads, giving statistics from various
states and describing the kind of roads
that best meet the needs of farming dis
tricts. He advocated the building of a
stone road, eight or nine feet wide, with a
dirt road of the same width beside it, the
stone road for wet weather and the dirt
road for dry weather. Such road, he
said, was both durable and cheap. He
urged the farmers to see that their mem
bers worked for good roads and worked
constantly.
DR.. ID. &. Salmon, chief of the bureau of
animal industry, read a paper on Cows
and Milk" He especially dwelt on the care
that should be taken with the stock and
mi!k,and the diseases that are transmitted to
consumers of milk by the COWS not being
in good health.
Short speeches were made by Professor
Robertson of the Agricult raj College and
Professor Edward Daniels, formerly state
Eeologist of Wisconsin.
At | o'clock the meeting adjourned TO tho