The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-02-20
FARMERS INSTITUTE.
A GOOD ATTENDANCE OF CECIL
FARMERS.
Practical Talks Upon Agriculture and
Suggestions as to How % Make
Farming Pay.

appropriating $4,000 for their organization
throughout the State was held at Odd Fellows
Hall on Wednesday under the direction of
Mr.. VIM. l.. Amoss Of Hartford county, State
Director of Institutes. Among the farmers
of the county present were A. j. Michiner
Jonathan Reynolds, Morris Reeder Wayne
Reynolds. Thos. r. Fasset, James H. Maxwell,
T. B. r. r. Robertson, Elwood Balderston.
A. w. Kirk, S. Kennard Blake, William Patton,
Thos. G. Bond, Geo. Ricketts,. T. John Dewitt,
Samuel Fisher, John Meredith, W. Arthur
Mitchell, John P. Wilson. Geo. w. Sutton, d.
w. McVey, James Casho, J. Alex Rutter,
Warren r. Grosh, VIM. H. Eder. Judge
Stump, Col. Enoch Noyes, Geo. W. Clifford,
E. L. Duyckinck. Alfred Kirk, jeremiah c..
Price, z. Porter Lusby, G. Walton. Henry
Coudon, Jos. Coudon (of Henry, DR.. Jos. v.
Wallace. E. L. Ewing Of the Midland Journal.
Levi E. Patterson, John Harlin, G. F. Mearns,
DR.. G. NJ. Ellis, VIM. J. Lake. Thos c. Crook
shank.
In opening the Institute Mr.. Amoss briefly
referred to their objects and the Importance
of them. They are strictly educational and
are intended to afford the farmer practical
knowledge in his business. Besides this,
they involved organization which is always
essential to the diffusion Of knowledge Mr..
Amoss referred to the number of Farmers
Clubs in seveia al counties of the State, notice.
ably Hartford and Montgomery counties. He
said he felt gratifled at the success of the In
sttutes being organized in the counties of the
State by State authority. and hoped the Cecil
Institute would prove profitable.
Director Amoss then introduced Mr.. A. r.
Eastman, of Watertown. New York, who is a
practical farmer and has n dairy of forty
COWS, who spoke on the "Silo and Ensilage.r y
Mr. Eastman said he was glad the educa-
tiona movement among agriculturists was
abroad. That muscular power must give
way to the higher intelligence. That the
farmers knowledge must WIDEN since the
man who stands by one machine for years
necessarily grows like it That the farmer
must keep pace with the progressive spirit Of
the day. Mr.. Eastman then made an intelli-
gent and forceful presentation of the subject
of feeding cows for dairy purposes. and said
tnat the value of ensiage had been generally
recognized by successful dairymen. The
pasturage of June afforded the best results
for the dairy. The reason Of this was plain,
because the vegetable growth was then most
digestible, after that period wood fibre which
is practically useless as feed, quite as much
so as the shavngs Of any wood, formed rap
idly. Dry hay therefore while supporting the
life of the animal, was not milk producer.
OF all hays the early cut clover hay was the
best for dairy feeding. The best vegetable
food therefore was that containing the largest
per centage of sugar and starch in the plant
The experience of New York dairymen
showed that enslage of corn, of the Pride Of
the North variety, was the richest in sugar
and starch. That the best time to cut the
corn for the silo was when the grain began to
dent or when the husk OH the ears began to
glaze. The silo should be Of wood, and
should be air-tight Mr.. Eastman's address
was very favorably received by his audience.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Eastman's address.
Mr.. James L. Rice. a successful poultryman
OF New York State, was introduced Mr..
Rice said for the amount expended and in the
labor and trouble given, the hen was the best
friend the farmer had at his command.
Fancy fowls had not proved profitable,
capons would not pay, and the poultry ques-
tion was reduced down to the production OF
eggs at the most profitable season of the year.
No artificial egg would ever come into COM
petition with a good hens egg A nice
clean, fresh egg would always command a
uranium in tba ma arl.n nt ba u,hr
cited the ease of a man who had solved the
problem of producing eggs in the winter. II
this was easy to do every man could do it.
But it can be done, and done prontably. The
law of nature tells a hen not to lay eggs in
cold weather. This law must be turned back
on the hen, and she can be made to lay Just
as well in the dark months Of winter as the
bright months of spring, when every fool hen
will lay. Warmth was the first desideratum.
Maryland is in the hen belt as to her climate,
and just the state in which to produce eggs
prfltahy. Mr. Rice then described how to
build warm hen house. 1t must have dry
floor. Hens don't like wet feet He prefer
red cement floor. As to breeds of hens he
preferred the Leghorns and Minorcas as egg
producers, and the good old Barred Ply
mouth Rock as general utility fowls. The
Cochin fowls had proved to him u delusion
and n snare, Mr.. Rice then described the
physical build of IA good laying hen. April
and May were the months for Matching OF
good pulets for the following seasons egg
production. Mr.. Rice spoke of incubator-
and brooders, recommending the compare.
lively inexpensive machines rather than the
costly, and closed with an intelligent descrip.
tion Of the best feed for chickens. putting
stress upon the good judgment that is re.
quired in poultry raising as in any Other
business in life. For good feed he gave this
formula-l00 pounds corn meal 100 pounds
oat meal, so pounds oil meal, 100 pound.
animal meal.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Rice's address the
Institute adjourned until 1.30 p. m.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Upon re-assembling at 1.3O p. m., the first
question asked was ''What objection exists
against stone silo?''
Mr.. Eastman answered that in the colder
climate of New York, the ensage woulC
freeze more or less in silos built OF stone.
How Is ensilage to be fed to get the bes