The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1895-02-01
FARMERS INSTITUTE.
Fridays Session Of the Interesting
and Successful Meeting for
the Aiyancem OF Prac.
tIcaI Farm Methods.

The third day Of the farmers institute
indicated by the increased attendance
the interest that was being manifested
In the subject OF improved farming
The court room where the meeting was
being held was barely large enough tt
accomm odate the gathering, the people
being packed inside and outside the
railing and on the platform Prof
Philips and Prof. Shepard conducted
the institute, the former ope ming the
session with his paper on ''how to farm
a quarter section.' The Professor con
tended that there had been a great
change taking place in the methods and
system Of farming during the pas
twenty years, change made necessary
by changed conditions, and the success
fui farmers must study and understand
his work Thoroughly, the same as the
successful man in any other business, il
| he would make a success of it, A great
many farmers we're doing this and were
reaping rewards tor their labor instead
of failure. Many instances were known
where one man with many advantages
over his neighbor made an absolute
| failure OF his business, while the neigh
Dor with fewer advantages and under
more adverse conditions made u success
of his One Of the lessons farmers in
South Dakota were learning was that
they must diversity their crops and not
carry all their eggs in one basket.
Wheat raising exclusively would make
any man or any country poor The
older states had each and ali tired it
and had to give 1T up and SO would the
farmers OF this state. He instanced a
case were farmer made money with
twelve cows, and had lost the profits
IN his attempt to raise wheat. The
farmer could and should live more COM
| Portable and have more Of the uxuries
OF the table than the machanic or or1i-
nary business man by raising all the
various kinds of vegetables and differ
ent fruits that can be successful and
profitable raised in this latitude The
professor gave i list OF these that would
make mans mouth water. lie gave
what might be called the average living
expenses OF small family on farm
outside Of what could be raised by the
| farmer himself as running from 1925 to
S3l4. He showed that this should be
more than met by the profit from ten
COWS, forty sheep and fifty hens, IT prop
erly and Systematically handled. Speak
ing Of raising wheat he claimed that if
the shorts and bran from the wheat
could be fed to the stock on the farm
and the necessary fertilizing element
thus retained on the land, and only the
patent flour shipped away, the land
would lose but little Of its fertility.
Successful farming in South Dakota,
the same as elswhere, requires study,
great care, observation and attention TO
the experience and results attained by
others It was in the latter respect that
these farmer Institutes and, similar
gatherings proved beneficial.
At the conclusion of Prof. Phillips
paper, the question box was opened,
among the questions being: rs water
impregnated with iron good for garden ="
It was stated that the trace Of iron
found 10 any Of the water here would
not be detrimental.
"How would land plaster work on our
land - Generally did not need il, but It
was just the thing TO work up any patch
OF gumbo.
lis alkali water good for garden?'
No true alkali water here.
"What IS the best crop to plow under
for fertilizer?' Glover, peas, rye, millet,
preference given in the order named.
"When is it best to mulch potatoes"
Either before they are up with coarse
spread all over, or after they
are up by putting between the rows.
This practice has proved highly bene-
fetal whenever resorted to.
"What shall we do if Taylor never
comes back with the state money!" IL
reply to this Prof. Shepard said that lie
was neither a statesmen, financier or
politician, but would give a few minutes
to the question rs he presumed it was
put in the box in good faith. lie said
that he did not expect to see this money
returned to the state, but nevertheless
he did not believe that tie state would
be bankrupted or its Ieopls reduced 10