Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-08-07

?, 1897.
the treatment was hardly worth the
trouble that was required to carry it
out.
Senator Love-Could we get rid of
the bugs if we would stop sowing
wheat for a year or two?
DR.. Anderson was unwilling to prom
ise anything for the efficacy of this
remedy. The only thing he could
suggest was that such crops as the
chinch-bug was especially fond of be
abandoned.
PROFESSOR SILVER
delivered from the manuscript, a care
fully prepared lecture on commercial
fertilizers. A full synopsis of the paper
is impracticable, both for want of space
and on account of the fact that it is
rather too technical for general COM
prehension. He explained, among
other things, that the commercial value
of fertilizer should not be mixed with
it's agricultural value. For instance,
there is fertilizer known as "Natural
Plant Food" which sells at sS ton,
and which is not worth over 70 cents.
1t contains most of the elements re-
quired for plant life but those elements
are already in the soil. He said that
while it is an easy matter to analyze
a soil and find out what, if anything,
is lacking to produce given crop,
chemistry has not yet reached such
perfection that existing deficiencies
may be supplied in such manner as to
make them at once available for plant
life. The science is of great value, of
course, and has developed wonders !;
but still there is a great deal which is
yet beyond its reach. The lecture was
remarkable for its straightforward
frankness, and several listeners who
were previously impressed with the
idea that the chemist could almost
produce plant without the assistance
of nature, were made aware of the
fact that, after all, practical expert.
ence is very essential requirement OF
good farming.
PROFESSOR HART.
Prof. Hart commenced his lecture
with the statement that very few peo.
pie in this country had any idea of the
Importance and extent Of the dairy in
dustry. The meat product of the
country, he, said, was worth $9OO,OOo,-
900 per annum. The corn crop comes
next at value of s6OO,OOO,OOO. Then
comes the hay crop, valued at $685.
900, 900; and next the dairy products,
valued at s4l1,000,000. After this
comes wheat, and the cotton crop
ranks sixth in the list with an annual
value of 1870, 100000. He spoke of
the wonderful development of the
dairy business throughout the north
west, and said that there was big pro
fit in it there, Notwithstanding the fact
that milk sold for 40 cents hundred
pounds. This was in country where
the COWS had to be kept up more than
half the year. He also recited the
fact that most of the products of these
dairies had to 60 some 1000 miles for
a market, and from it all, reasoned
that if the dairy business could not be
developed into profitable one down
in this country, he could not under
stand the reason why. But it was not
for the establishment of large cream
cries that he argued principally. One
of the greatest benefits derived from
the handling of cattle was in the man
ures. In dairy products to the value
5000, the farm was not deprived of
fertilizers to the value of twenty cents.
He went into details as to the feeding
and handling of milk cows also calves,
and the making of butter, etc. He
also explained the advantages of grade
COWS over common stock, and when
asked his preference as to the various
breeds, said he had none. Jersey, Ayr
shire and Holstein are all good. 1t is
question only of what kind of pasture
they are to be kept in and how they
are to be handled generally.
Prof. Hart also gave some interest
ing experiments relative to the feed
ing of pigs. Pigs were taken from the
SOW at six weeks of age and fed on
corn meal. They did not grow; but
into runts. Other pigs fed
on skinned milk tErived rapidly.
Still others fed on corn meal and
skinned milk mixed, did fairly well.
Estimating pork at cents pound,
the experiments so far have shown
that the corn fed to the pigs has cost
rs cents a bushel. Just at this time an
is being made with cotton
seed meal and corn meal mixed. The
experiment, however, has not been
developed sufficiently to admit of a
correct estimate of its value.
PROFESSOR MORRISON.
Prof. Morrison was the last speaker.
His subject was industrial education,
aud he spoke for about an hour, and
all that he said was in defense of all
the educational institutions of the
state. South Carolina, he said, has
not one school or college too many,
and not one of them is any better sup
ported than it should be. He wanted
to see them all patronized, and in il
of his idea of the import
ance of education. he said HIf T