Smyrna times., 1897-01-13
FARMERS MEET.
Two Days Devoted to Interesting Discus
SiOns on Agricultural Matters.


SiOns on Agricultural Matters.
The meeting of the Farmers Insti-
tute here Monday and Tuesday was a
matter of general interest to the far
mers. The attendance was good, even
better than is usually the case, and the
speakers were first class. The meeting
was called to order by Mr.. John Heyd,
of Frederics, the president. In the
absence of secretary J. Wesley Webb,
of Dover, Mr.. Frank Gootee of Clay
ton was made secretary pro tenn.
After the business of the Institute
was disposed of, the Hon. J. c. Mon
roe, of Michigan, was introduced and
read an excellent paper on peach vel
lows. His only remedy for this
plague was the determination of all
trees affected. His remarks were fol-
lowed on the same line of thought by
Professor Powell, of Delaware Col
lege, Newark, Delaware, whose excel
lent views and the manner in which he
went into the science of animal life,
was highly enjoyed.
In the evening the Institute met in
the Hose Room. Robert L. Gulick, of
Cambridge, Md, entertained the few
present on the Marketing of Fruit
especially as applied to home markets.
The evening sessions were not attended
as well as the day meeting, owing to
the fact that it is not as convenient for
farmers to come to town. However
the talks given by the speakers were
interesting and instructive. Mr..
Gulicks remarks we're followed by an
address on Fungi" by Professor D.
Chester, of Delaware College, Newark,
Del. His experiments on peach trees
last Spring afforded interesting dis
cussiOn. After each lecture given on
Monday an opportunity was given for
a free parliamentary discussion of the
subjects under consideration.
On yesterday, Tuesday afternoon,
President John Heyd called the meet
to order and Mr.. r. NJ. Cooper was
made secretary pro tenn. After the
business of the Institute was disposed
of Hon. j. G. Monroe was again called
and he responded with an interesting
paper on ''The Reaching of the Top of
the Market" To reach this success
full stage, he advised every grower to
pay especial attention to raising fruit
from well selected varieties, with care
full cultivation and to the packing and
preparing of same for market. Like
the California growers, have the fruit
to make a good appearance in market.
Then follow the fruit up. See that it
is placed in the hands of good reliable
commission men. Allow an investi-
cation. The top of the market is
reached when the grower knows the
commission men. He favored an or
ganization of farmers for mutual help
in the marketing of fruit, and dis
couraged the idea of shipping all sorts
of fruit to market Every farmer
should have more in mind the con-
sumer than the producer. After all,
the secret of the successful shipper
was in the packing and preparing of
fruit and this be dwelled on at length,
closing his remarks with a discussion
concerning peach baskets. crates etc.
The address of the afternoon was by
Prof. Powell of Delaware College.
He took for his subject 'Insect Life"
starting out with beautiful descrip-
tion of hew man in cutting down the
forests had left little for the myriads of
insects to feed upon and by increasing
the acreage of cultivated plants had
caused the insects to leave the forests
and take to the small plants. In TAX,
ing to the fields, he showed that these
insects were not subject TO the prey of
other insects so much, hence their
number had increased, not in specie
but in individuals. There were 800, 900
forms of insects in the United States.
As insects live in different forms in the
round of life he said, they may effect
fruit in one form or another and for
this reason he saw q great necessity
for understanding the science Of insect
] life, before applying the remedies. In