The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-02-16
the The FARMERS INSTITUTE,
resume Of Last Weeks Meeting of sOmer-
ser County Agrioulturists.
M3sr SUCCESSFUL SESSION YEr HELD.

M)sT SUCCESSFUL SESSION YET HELD.
Every session Of the Farmers Institute
held last week was attended by hundreds
of wide-awake farmers and farmers
wives and daughters, all of whom were
intensely interested in the proceedings.
The program WAS complete in every re-
spect aud diversified enough to entertain
all who attended, no matter whether they
were Interested in chemistry OF the soil.
contagious diseases of animals, computa-
ton of rations, rural architecture, the
reproduction Of plants, or kindred sub
jects relative to rural life.
The first half hour of each session was
devoted 10 queries of various characters,
all of which were promptly responded TO.
A majority of the queries answered dur
ing the week related entirely to such
questions as the farmers of Somerset
county are directly interested in, and
were the means Of securing information
from those who had had personal ex-
perience in different lines of agriculture.
While many of the lectures were pure
ly theoretical, all of them contained val
liable suggestions. such as the farmer
who fails TO keep posted on the develop
ments going on in other parts of the
country could not fail to have profited
from hearing. The Representatives Of the
State Pure Food and Dairy Commission
startled the people present by telling of
the many adulterated and unwholesome
articles they have been eating, and are
eating to-day, totally ignorant of the
effect they may produce upon their ply
steal bodies. Prof. Fries, the chemist at
tached to the State College, told how 10
solve the vexatious questions that con-
front farmers in regard to the require
ments of the soil in which they are work.
ing, and taught them how to make SIM
pie experiments in order to prove wheth-
or or not the soil is as productive as it
should be under the conditions in which
they find it.
DR.. ROthrock, State Forestry Commis-
sioner, elucidated the reproduction and
growth of plants in a manner that set
many of his hearers TO thinking along
new lines, and it is probable that they
will not rest content with thinking alone,
but will prohtably study the matter in
the future. Few of his hearers, tbs beliey-
ed. ever stop to consider the sex of the
beautiful flowers that delight their organs
of sight and smell. how one blooms in
solitude beneath the warm earth, and
supplies nOurishment for its natural part
ner, which shoots up into the air and
blossoms. DIR. Rothrock brought all of
this and many more interesting facts to
the attention of the institute in a manner
that rendered his remarks intensely in
teresting.
The State Veterinarian, DIR. Pearson,
was possibly the most popular of the
lecturers who appeared during the week,
and his various talks ON the treatment of
animals for contagious aud other diseases,
were alike timely and valuable.
The papers and essays read during the
week by local farmers and farmers wives
and daughters were all ably prepared and
contained the result of solid study and
mature thought. The discussions, too,
brought to light the fact that the repre-
sentative farmers Of Somerset county are
able to hold their own against farmers
from distant parts and are able to give
them valuable instruction, the result Of
their personal experience in the conduct
Of the successful farm.
A delightful feature of the week was
the music supplied by Somerset's amateur
performers, and by Miss Olive Laughlin,
of Indiana, Pa, who possesses a charm
ing soprano voice, and made her selee-
tions with view to pleasing the greater
number of those who had the pleasure OF
hearing her sing.
The HERALD is under obligations to
the Secretary of the Institute, Mr.. John
C. Gneagy, for assistance in preparing
this report.
The features of Tuesday nights session
were papers read by Martin A. Miller, of
Somerset township, on "Soils and Their
Treatment" and by J. d. Baker, Of Cas-
selman, on "Chemicals and Cloyer;"
another pleasing performance was an
essay read by Miss Vida Miller, of Stoyes-
town, on Conversation in the Rnral
Home"
wednesday morning session was de-
voted 10 discussing such questions as
were found in the query-bOx and TO
talk by Hon. Levi Wells, who elucidated
the acts of assembly passed last winter
in favor of regulating the food and dairy
products of the state, and by State Vet
erinarian Pearson, who gave instruction
in regard TO the treatment of farm ami
mails in certain cases.
Daring the afternoon session Prof. J. A.
Fries delivered an able lecture on Chem
istry Applied to Agriculture" which he
illustrated by number Of experiments
showing how to extract starch from pota-
toes, etc
A large audience was present at the ses-
sion held Wednesday evening. Features
of this session were talks by Senator
CritchheId and Hon. w. IL. Sanner in re-
gard to enaetments by the last Legisla-
ture bearing upon agricultural interests,
ssThe Farmers Mutual Telephone" by
Jere. Stevanus, and ''Best Varieties Of APP
pies" by different members. NJ. 5. Dick
ey read a paper on Interest in the Farm"
aud Mrs. Abbie Weigle read an essay en-
titled "Our Country Homes as We Find
Tnem.- Hon. o. p. Shaver delivered a
short address on "The farmers Orchard"
Thursday morning DIR. Pearson lectured
on Food Digestion and Disorders Of the
Digestive Organs" aud was followed by
Prof Fries, who talked for forty minutes
on 'The Loss of Nitrogen in Barnyard
Manure"
Secretary Edge, replying to a scsry
Thursday afternoon. said that he would
advise farmers to raise their own cows in
preference to buying them, for dairy pur-
poses. Cows brought up together will
always do better.
Prof Fries said that the best way TO get
rid of club foot in cabbage is 70 plant it IN
different patches for several years. Club
foot is caused by worm. He also stated
that manure will lose more or less ammo
mia when hauled directly from the barn
to the field.
In an address delivered at this session
on 'Ground Bone aud It's Variations in
Value" Secretary Edge said that good
thing to be governed by is the amount OF
phosphorie acid it contains.
At the evening session Prof. Fries said
that when wheat does not head fully IL Is