Gloucester County Democrat., 1897-12-23
FARMERS INSTITUTE.


The Williamstown Grange, which is now
in fiourishing condition, having eighty
members, entertained and assisted the State
Board of Agriculture in holding the first
Farmers Institute ever held in that section
of the country, in the Town Hall, Williams
town, on Friday last.
John M. Taggart, Esq, presided, and in
his address of welcome said -
Dear friends, welcome, heartily welcome,
to this our first Institute. The problems
confronting the people of this age are many
and varied but none are of more impor-
tance than this one of improving, increas-
ing and cheapening production on the
farm. None have more interest to the
masses in what is termed in Europe, The
struggle for existence, nor will any exert
greater influence on the future Of our
country than this. BENZ. Franklin said,
" Whoever makes two blades Of grass to
grow where but one grew before, is pub
lie benefactorn To that proposition we
can all, l think, give our unqualified as
sent.
On behalf of our Grange and the farmers
OF this vicinity bid you welcome.
To the speakers and members Of the
State Board of Agriculture we tender our
thanks; thanks to you for your co-opera-
ton with farmers in every way you can for
their betterment and advantage; thanks to
you for your efforts to arouse farmers to
sense of the possibilities of their calling.
And to our friends, brothers, and sisters
from other parts of our county, pioneers
some of you in this movement for the solv-
ing of these problems and aiming at a
higher standard both intellectually and
morally for the agricultural portion of cur
community, I bid you most hearty
welcome
Theo. Brown, of Woolwich township, in
responding said -
We are glad that the farmers of Williams
town and vicinity have made arrangements
for this Institute, and that so many are in
attendance.
The mission of the Farmers Institute is
not only to learn farmers to grow two
blades of grass where one grew before, but
| to learn how this increase can be made to
profit the grower and the country at large
In order to succeed in this era of low
prices, farmers must study the conditions
that surrounds them, and not plant more
than they can properly fertilize, cultivate
and market in fiIst-class condition.
The profitable market for low grades Of
produce has entirely disappeared.
We used to write in one copy book at
school competition is tthe life of trade, !"
but competition has been carried to such an
excess that only few with superior facill-
ties are successful, and the many are not
successful, and often fail to earn COM
Portable liYi. Z.
The remedy for the ills caused by exces-
sive competition is cooperation. Farmers
should cooperate in the Farmers Institute
in learning the best methods of growing
and marketing their crops in the county
and State Board of Agriculture to recon-
mend legislation that will bene tit the
farmer, and to resist unjust laws. In the
Grange for education, sociability and for
buying supplies at wholesale prices, and in
the future it may become necessary to
unite in the selling of produce.
There are wonderful possibilities for the
farmer in many ways in corporation.
We thank you for your hearty welcome.
ECONOMICAL USE OF FERTILIZERS
Prof. E. B. Voorhees,, Director of the New
Jersey State Experiment Station, spoke on
g The Economical Use of Fertilizers" He
said -
"The farmers business is to SO manipu-
late the soil as to take the minimum amount
of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, ,and
receive the maximum price. We must
look at the contents of the constituents we
remove from the soil.
"The character of the crop has an infu-
ence in determining the kind Of fertilizer
we shall use
The character in the growth of plant
must iLfiuence US in the use of materials
for the fertilization of the soil. Each one
of the plant fertilizers are stimulants in the
development of a good crop and promoting
leaf growth. These elements are the d0mi-
nant and ruling food for certain classes OF
crops. The one difficulty with many
| farmers, who fail to get results from the use
of fertilizers, is because they are ignorant
of the principle which underlies the treat
| ing of various crops. We want perfe ct
climate conditions, but we never have such
conditions, according to our farmers. What
| we want is an abundance of materials
which hurry the growth of the crops, no
matter what the weather conditions may
be. Farmers starve their soil to death in
too many instances because the right kind
of fertilizer is not used. We want it in
the right form -soluble-so that it will
build up the soil. Aim to raise just as big
crops as the climatic conditions will admit
of Farmers are tif1ing too much area and
paying less attention to the conditions
Get as near the maxium production from
the area as possible. Practice economy by
drawing into the soil the rich elements
which nature has provided in the air."
/ The growing of crimson clover and plow-
ing it under as a source of nitrogen ELECTED
quite discussion, several of the granger:
differing with the views of the speaker con
cernjng the value of the cloYer crop as .
fertilizer.
u MARKETING PRODUCE.
j F. I'll. Valentine, Associate Editor Rura
NeaO Yorker, spoke on the subject, Prepar
ing and Marketing Farm Produce Some
Mistakes of Shippers and Commission Mer
chants He said : The great markets O.
the world are subject worthy the study o
every man who has any interest in the pro
ducts. All products find market of som,
kind. Our profits as growers depend OF