The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1897-12-23
INSTITUTE.
Several Hundred of Stearns
County'S Best Farmers
We're In Attendance.
} PROFITABLE AND INTERESTING TIME.

ID PROFITABLE AND INTERESTING TINE.
Sank Center was fortunate in
having a very pleasant morning
for the opening of the Institute,
when over two hundred farmers
were present. Supt. Gregg explain
ed how some changes in his In.
stitute corps had occurred but he
was encouraged by the excellent
substitutes he had found, namely
Sen. M. F. Greedy of South Dakota
and Oliver Gibbs, Jr., who had
charge of the horticultural exhibit
at the New Orleans Exposition.
CORN CULTURE.
! Supt. Gregg took up the subject
of corn culture, first paying tri'
butte to Theodore Louie as his in
structor. He considered one value
of the corn crop being its cleaning
and preparing the ground for some
other crop. He spoke of the careful
selection of seed. He drew on the
blackboard enough illustrations to
make the audience understand his
contrivances for loading whole
shocks of corn. He finds in this dry
climate that the shocks get too dry
if they are left out too late. He
takes them in during October, and
if he has not room to set them on
end, layers of straw may be placed
between to preserve the corn. He
breaks and scatters his corn stalks
over the pasture as soon as the
latter begins to fail. The cattle thus
husk their own grain and the butts
are thus out of his barn yard and
away. In answer to questions he
said that he practiced the Campbell
theory. The earlier he plows the
deeper he would plow, because the
soil settles back to its density, but
late blowing must be more shallow,
or if blowing must be done deeply
then the subsoil should be pack
ed. Cultivation is only to kill
weeds. Experiment stations have
proved that uncultivated corn
grows best, if the weeds are hand
pulled. The roots of corn run along
horizontally very near the surface
of the ground. Deep cultivation
breaks them too much and post
pones the maturity of the crop.
The discussion branched off to
the subject of weeds, and a gen.
tleman in the audience gave his
interesting experience. He was
greatly troubled with witch grass,
and offered Mr.. Someryille, who
used to talk on that subject, $500
if he would clear $ acres for him.
He took Mr.. Somerville'S directions
to plow the land in the fall, and
then stir it with a cultivator ali
spring, keeping the soil moving,
till the grass died in despair. The
plan was a success and he saved
his $500.
MRS. TILSON TALKS ON POULTRY.
Mrs. Tilson, never having spoken
here before, was somewhat in doubt
as to what department of the poul-
try subject she had better take up,
but concluded to begin with the
poultry owner himself. 1t is not
necessary that everyone on the
farm should be directly interested
in poultry, but sine the flesh and
eggs are so digestible and nutri-
tious, this stock should have a
place, and let some one person
make it his or her business to at:
tend to the flock. Then the next
requisite is that the person should
read poultry columns in some good
farm paper, or take a special poul-
try paper, and be intelligent. Hens
are nervous and suffer from every
change of hands. The care, then,
should be regular and thorough,
allowing about an hour a day to
each fifty fowls, given in snatches
of about ten or fifteen minutes
each. If Il good product is ready
for market and attention is called
to the freshness of the eggs, they
will be handed to particular Gus
toners, who will enquire on the
next shopping tour, for others like
them and trade can be built up
which will reward the careful
painstaking poulterer. The ques-
tons decided Mrs. Tilson to speak
on shelter the next day.
DISEASES OF ANIMALS.
DR.. Reynolds of the State Agri.
cultural College, treated the dis
eases Of domestic animals. Para
site diseases cannot come except
by actual contact with infected an
finals or things. Inherited tenden-
cies to disease may be prevented
by using perfect animals for breed
ing. Many diseases come from in
sufficient or poorly balanced food,
or a great quantity of cold water