The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-24
IT'S WORK WELL DONE
The Farmers Have Returned to Their
Homes Well Pleased.
MUCH INFORMATION GAINED
Western Montana's Fruit Growers
Held a Profitable Meeting at
Which Many Valuable Pa
pers We're Read.


Mssoula, Feb 23.-The last of the
farmers who attended the fruitgrowers
convention left the city to-day, and
nothing remains of the meeting but
very pleasant memories. 1t was one of
the most successful gatherings ever
held i'm Missoula, and one which ben.
Gifted both the town and the farmers
who came here. After President Har-
Ian had announced the final adjourn
ment, there was but one opinion ex-
pressed-that every one who had at
tended the meetings would go away
with much information that would be
of advantage to him in mis- work. Pres
ident Harlan and Secretary Edwards
arranged programme that was OF I'M
usual excellence, and they were indie
fatigable in their efforts to successfully
carry out the plans which they had
made. The time was all too short and
the meeting could have been continued
another day to good advantage. But
there was no time lost while the meet
ing was in progress and much more
was accomplished than 1t was thought
could be done. President Harlan makes
an admiring presiding officer and the
something beside farming. Few con-
ventions OF any sort ever progress with
less friction than did this one.
The real benefit of the meeting will
depend upon the manner in which its
members carry out the plans formu-
lated during the past few days. Many
good resolutions were made and If they
are kept the fruitgrowing industry will
receive great benefit fro mthe meeting.
At least one good result was accom-
plished. The~farmers who took part in
the meeting were made to realize the
assistance which such gatherings will
give them in their work. For two years
there has been an effort made to hold
such a meeting as has just closed here,
but there has always been so much
skeptical opposition that the idea has
been abandoned. 1t is noticeable, how
| ever, that il was decided to hold these
| meetings every winter and there is no
doubt that succeeding meetings VIII be
more profitable than this one was, as
| the attendance each year will be great
err Another excellent result will be the
| adoption of a uniform policy of cam
| paign against pests. The members of
the association will constitute them
| selves a bureau of information in this
matter and the appearance of insects
and other pests in one section will be
announced to fruitgrowers in other dis
| tricts.
| 1t is not probable that there is a sin
| gle farmer who attended the meeting
| last week who does not now realize me
| Importance and necessity of accurately
| compiled statistics, whatever may have
| been his opinion before. There is but
| one way in which these statistics can
| be made accurate, and that is by the
members of the association taking
| charge of the matter, and collecting
complete and reliable data The paper
| prepared by Capt. J. H. Mills was an
| interesting one, but the discussion
| which followed showed that the statis-
/ tics compiled by the bureau of which
| Captain Mills is the head were
practically worthless, as they were in
complete. This is not the fault of the
| bureau but of the farmers who failed
to make returns when asked for them.
Further than this, there are many
| fruitgrowers who had no opportunity
| to make returns. When the subject
| was discussed, IL was found that only
one-half of the members present had
received blanks upon which to make
| returns. The West End of Missoula
county had not been credited with a
single tree. yet there are many large
| orchards in Horse Plains Paradise
| valley and around Thompson Falls. A
| letter received by the Standard from
| Colonel MCGOWAN of Horse Plains
gives the following figures regarding
the fruitgrowing industry in that val
ley. none Of which were included In
the statistics compiled by the state:
| No. of acres in orchards. ........... 800
No. of acres yielding fruit in 1895. - rs
No. of acres to be planted this year 200
No. of acres in small fruits. .........1O 100
That omissions as serious as this were
made i'm regard TO Flathead county is
certain. There is one orchard In that
county which produces more fruit than
was credited in Captain Mills report
Of the whole county. The fruitgrowerS
wisely concluded to take this matter
in their own hands and see to II that
the statistics for 1896 are more acCu-
rate and complete.
| II is doubtful IL any agricultural
community in the country could turn
out such creditable body of renre-
sentative farmers as the meeting which
adjourned here yesterday Those who
went TO the opera house expecting to
see a lot OF hayseeds were greatly dis
appointed. They found a lot of men
who understood how to conduct meet
ings and who could talk Interestingly
and TO the point. There are farmers
and farmers and Western Montana has
| every reason 10 be proud Of the men
who assembled here last week. They
are well Informed. progressive men
who would be a credit TO any section.
But. progressive as these men are
they must take off their hats to the
wyoming farmer who is mentioned as
follows i'm the Casper Tribune: \ wy
oming man has invented a new corn
planter that is all right. His contri-
vance consists of a box attached to
each fore leg of horse just above the
fetlock and filled with corn. A cord
passes over a pulley connected with
the saddle and again down to the hind
legs. so that at every step the lid OF
the box is lifted and the corn drops
out into the hole made by the fore
feet. while the ingenious planter rides
at his ease. "a
MISSOULA NEWS.