The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-10-30
FARMERS GO TO SCHOOL.
CLEMSON PROFESSORS HOLD
AN AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE.
Instructive Lectures to Oconec Farm
ers. Othcr Counties Want to Hear
These Professors Lecture--A Free
Veterinary Clinic.

A Farmers Institute under the aus
pices of Clemson College was held at
Walhalla on Friday, the 18th of Octo-
ber. It was we'll attended. The farm
ers are manifesting considerable inter.
est in the work Of these institutes
They are daily growing in popular
favor. President Craighead has more
applications to hold institutes in the
various sections Of the State than he
has time at his command. Four or five
communities have already been favor
ed with interesting and profitable ses
sions of the institute. They are filling
a long felt need and doing good work
in diffusing among the people OF the
different sections Of the State useful
and practical information on subjects
connected with agriculture, as will be
seen by brief synopsis, given below.
Of the addresses delivered:
President Craighed made two short
addresses discussing the work of the
college and the experiment station. He
was anxious to see the college brought
into close touch with the people. He
showed the necessity Of training for the
agricultural GLASSES, and the kind of
education furnished at Clemson. He
claimed that the government approprI-
ations were not sufficient for the needs
of the college and deplored the con-
slant agitation of the fertilizer tax. In
the great educational work of the State
he wanted to see a forward and not a
backward movement. He made plea
for better roads, better country schools,
and enlarged opportunities for the
farmer and his children, the farmers
family. For this purpose the farmers
institutes were inaugurated.
Professor McGee spoke on 'tFertili-
zers for Corn" After celebrating
the advantages Of thorough drainage
and preparation of the soil, he urged
especially on our uplands, the grow.
ing aud plowing under of pea vines
and the application of barn yard
measure ns means of putting
the soil in good condition. He
then said when the soil was in
the proper mechanical condition COM
mercial fertilizers could be applied
with hope of profitable returns, and
The following were recommended: on
the bottom soils, which were usually
we'll supplied with humus. nitrogen
and phosphorio acid in the proportion
of one to three, with possibly one-h half
as much potash as nitrogen; on the
average clay soils. nitrogen, phosphoric
acid and potash in the proportion of
four, two and one; on the sandy soils,
nitrogen and phosphoric acid in equal
parts. The quantity Of the mixture
to be applied will be indicated by local
conditions.
Prof. NJ. B. Hardin, chief chemist
ut Clemson College, discussed the an
alyscs of commercial fertilizers with
his usual efficiency and nccepta5lIity.
Professor Dupre spoke (rXtcmpore)
culture, ns defined by Webster, was
the cult!vating of II garden (yegctublcs)
or gardens, but it now included pom
ology, viticulture, Horticulture, &c To
be IL successful horticulturist, one
must have some knowledge Of geology,
chemistry, botany, entomology, biology
and zoology; he should also be a good
mechanic. Plants. like animals, ate,
drank, digested their food, married
and raised families. He explained the
process of their eating, drinking, and
disesting and how the food was dis
tributed through the plant. Plants were
divided into classes, orders, general,
species and varieties. Each species,
genera, etc. had properties aud wants
peculiar to themselves and required
different foods soils, cultivation, ctc.
Plants were propagated by seeds,
roots, cuttings and leaves, by layers,
gratis, buds, etc. He explained the
process Of growing onions from seed,
and the raising of second or fall crop
of potatoes. At the close of his re.
marks ho was asked many questions
which he readily answered with seom.
ing satisfaction to those interested.
DR.. W. T.. A. Wyman spoke on
"Foundor Of the Horse" Main stress
Was laid upon the preventative meas.
ures, he pointing ont how improper
| feeding and faulty shoeing must be
! looked upon az the two main causes of
"fonnder" in the rural districts of
this State. He advised to feed more
oats and less corn. His treatment
recommended WAS blood letting i'm
horses foundercd no longer than six
to eight hours, with cold water bath to
| the feet; In horses foundcrcl longer
| than eight hours, no recommended
three ounces OF saltpctcr in ono pint
OF water every five or six hours, de-
cseasing the dose if urnntion becomes
excessive, ut the same time the in
ilamed feet arc to DO put into hottish
water. DR.. Wyman devoted the bal
nnce OF his time to free clinic, treat.
ing fortyseven cases in all.
| Unconscious Hum~-.
| II is not always safe to resort to sci