Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-01-31
FARMERS INSTITUTE.
Largest Attendance OF any
ever held in the County.
INTERESTING AND PROFITABLE
MEETING,

The State Farmers Institute Ior
Gratiot county opened in the opera
house Tuesday morning with PRAYER py
i'll. Miller, after which l n. Cowdry,
president, addressed those present.
briefly outlining the plan OF holding
institutes according 10 the law passed.
by the last legislature. Seventy instl'
tutes have been held under this law
some of which he had attended MI
Cowdry said he was proud OF the t'rm-
ers of Gratiot county. They are Ell
thusiastic. up to date, and always on
hand, and predicted one OF the most
successful intitutes ever held. In al
the institutes he had attended he had
not found one place that, to his mlhu'
could equal Gratiot County lie was
thankful to the people of Alma for the
interest they had taken IN the institute
10 the press for the work 1t had zone ID
advertising the institute. Iii some
counties business men and press had
antagonzed the Institutes.
At the close of President CowdIy j
remarks, queries and answers occupied
the time until the noon hour. j. l..
Miller asked I. \ Ely 10 say whether
farming paid, 20 which Mr Ely re-
sponded by saying that his farm had
paid him eight per cent this summer.
The question as 10 what should be
done with the immense potato crop OF
this season at the present prices. Geo
Abbott said he had 1900 bushels OF po-
tatoes in the hole which ne would not
take out at present prices; others adVo-
cate feeding them to stock. Inc
question arose, whether 1t would pay
to feed them to stock, and the concen-
sus of opinion was that 1t would.
The cause Of the rise in prices OF
wheat and hogs was then discussed
Rev. McGreham of Breckenridge at
tributed it to the prospects OF war III
Europe. Mr.. McGreham then went on
TO state that there WAS money IN hogs,
He told of his experience III feeding
them beets, and then corn, until they
weighed about 200 pounds, when le
sold them at good margin. lie sand
farmers must be progressive, vide
awake, and alive TO their own interests
The subject OF how and what to teeo
hogs, aud what remedies 10 use IN dIs
eases peculiar TO them, was discussed
until the institute adjourned for dinner
The opera house was well filled
Tuesday afternoon. The sides or The
room and stage were prettlly decorated
with the national colors. Ga The stage
were stacked, not the weapons OF war
but the implements OF agricultural
The session was mainly devoted 10 TIT
asking and answering Of questions o
practical value t. the tdImer' boli
answers and questions showed great III
terest and marked degree OF Intel
ligence. IL Is Impossible III a news
paper article w give all ar even
small proportion OF the questions aske'
and answered, but Unis 10 select sue
as are, perhaps, the most lmppr an
One of the inst questions asked VIA
as to the value of rye bay compared (
clover, admitting clover 10 De Wort
81 per ton. The first speaker sad tha
rye hay yielded well, cured good, VIII
no must; was much easter cured tina
clover; should be cut when greer
Another man had such good result
with rye, that he did not care whetht
he had any clover hay OF not. %
man had fed rye straw 10 all his stool
stock liked it, and thrUve we'll oil !
his opinion was that rye was d pay III
crop To every talmer who kept stocl
Several others cOrrUbOraled tines
statements, and would not give u
clover for rye.
The question how TO make farms a.
preciate IN value called out conside
able discussion. All, or nearly all,
the speakers agreed that this coul
best be done 10y judlclOus fertlllZll
and intelligent rotation OF crops.
Will cows do as well To be kept col
tinually i'll the stable? The speake
all agreed that there Is better yield
milk when the COWS are well house
and protected, and that there was
better yield OF better milk If CONS "A
watered early Ia the day, rather TIA
Tait until afternoon.
The question, Does it pay TO y
manure around apple trees, elected
variety of answers, but the oplnlC
prevailed that it is better to sprei
manure at a distance rather than clio
to the roots
The que stion, which is the large
breed of swine on record, was answer
by some one in the audience, who Sd
that England was. The answ
elected perfect storm OF applaus
which was not lessened when Pre-
dent Cowdry asked what 1t (the no
should he fed? The answer was g
and government bonds.
Bot one paper WAS read, and tn