The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-22
AGRIOULTURISTs HAD FUN.
Humorous IncId ents at h Meet-
ing Of the Hoard of Agriculture.

3euAu0TOus hnctQ eute AT the meet~
ing of h hoard of Agriculture.
The Trenton Sunday Advertiser tells
some amusing stories of the recent meet
ing of the State Agricultural Society.
There was a good deal of serious work
done by the farmers of the State at their
annual meeting in the Capitol last week,
but the proceedings were not without oc-
c~asional flashes of humor, 1t was evident,
too, from The reception accorded a good
story, that nobody relishes a laugh more
than the tillers of the soil. When Farmer
Pohl, a -good-natured German, of Ocean
County, told how he had sprayed his or
chard three times last season after the
most approved scientific fashion, and then
raised a worse crop of apples than any of
his ~neighbors who had lone no spraying,
he brought down the house, and his puz-
zled inquiry for enlightenment went man
answered.
The humorist of the week, however, was
~ex-Judge F. s. Holcombe. a thin little man
with weakened face and whitened hair,
who has been coming to the State Boards
meetings for many years. After Profess
sor Voorhees,, of the State Experimental
Station at New Brunswick, had finished
an elaborate paper on the work of the sta
ton, Judge Holcombe arose and passed
some complimentary remarks upon the
professor and his achievements. Then he
told a personal anecdote tending to show
how the station had improved in practi-
cal farming. Some years ago, he said,
he and some other farmers had gone on a
visit to the Experiment Station, and being
cordially received they entered into con-
versation with one of the Professors of
Agriculture. The latter was discoursing
learnedly upon farming, while the old
Judge fastened his gaze upon a pile of
manure containing about $50 loads, which
was sending UP clouds of steam. Finally
he interrupted the Professors learned dis
sertation to say
Professor, why don you stop that?"
The Professor didn't know at first
whether the Judge meant his talk or the
steaming. The Judge then indicated the
latter.
"Oh, that's some manure just up from
New Brunswick" the professor then said.
WELL" retorted the Judge, you'd bet
ter spread a little lime over it or you'll
lose all the ammonia"
The Judges story caused a general
laugh, in which Professor VOORHEES, join
ed, adding. I'm happy to take adyan-
tage of the Judges remarks to say that
the farmers of the State are always well
come at the Station, and we will be glad
to get pointers from them. We do not
claim to know it ALL"
My story. of course, referred to past
years." Judge Holcombe explained; Il
know you're doing first rate work now"
well, some people don't know that as
yet" the Professor replied good humor-
edly; some think we are scientific but
not practical. 1 remember not so long
ago a farmer with this notion came up
to see us and when he observed a fine
crop of wheat he seemed to be taken
aback. Well, now, that's pretty good
he remarked with an accent on the quail
flying word pretty | thought it the
was wrung from the man like a reluctant
confession"
The farmers who attended the annual
meeting were al exceedingly intelligent
body of men. An irreverent reporter,
however, called the attention of his fell
lows to the large proportion of bewhis-
kered individuals present as 1ustifying
some of the press illusions during the
campaign to the agricultural supporters
of William J. Bryan. A poll of those pres
ent one afternoon revealed the following:
Total number present Sc, of whom sc wore
full boards, II had m~ustaches, s were adj
orned with chin whiskers of the paint
brush variety, 10 had sideboards of vari-
Gus descriptions, 10 wore combination
styles of mustache and beard, and only
two were entirely clean shaven. Presi-
dent Denise has a mustache, but Secre-
tary Dye wears a full beard of auburn
streaked gray.