Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-03-19

Of the country celebrated In the his
torical romances of Mary ]. Gather
wood. The convention was a great
success IL IL was held way down In
Southern Illinois,"
Like other meetings of its class 1t
brought together such a clean-hearted,
keen-witted, jovial set Of men, and was
conducted with an absence of restraint
that proved so enticing that the sec
rotary was fairly harassed by applica-
tions for membership.
The character of the dairy discus
aions has changed materially since the
days when the relative merits Of breeds
was the all-important topic. This sub
5ect was SO generally ignored at most
of the sessions that an ignorant at
tendant might reasonably have sup
posed that "any old COW" would do for
dairy purposes The attention Of the
convention was chiefly devoted to a
consideration of the comparative values
OF forage crops and how to preserve
them in the best, most economical
manner. All arguments for old meth
DDS or principles not sustained by the
recent experiments of the agricultural
| stations were received with cynical
good nature and the professors In agri-
cultural lines Of whom liberal sprink-
| ling was present, commanded at all
times the most respectful attention.
Indeed nothing was more apparent than
the growing confidence in and de-
pendence upon the work of the expert
| ment stations by the progressive and
| practical farmers of the state who rec
/ ognize their inability as individuals to
/ conduct such tests with the scientific
accuracy attained by the stations and
are glad to avail themselves OF the re-
suits.
The most valuable contribution to the
program was generally conceded to be
the address by Mr.. r. A. Pearson, as
sistant secretary of agriculture. who
exhaustively described the work which
the department has done and is doing
to further the dairy and general agri-
cultural interests of American farm
ers. We hope to give these papers and
discussions in detail in later issues OF
the Farmers Review.
Chief among the resolutions passed
by the convention was one condemn
ing the so-called free distribution Oh
seeds, which the Farmers Review has
for many years SO aggressiyeiy OPP
posed. Another of the resolutions
passed was addressed to the Illinois
legislature and petitioned that body 10
so amend the present anti-color oleo-
margarine law as to provide for the
appointment of dairy commissioner
and for an appropriation for the
maintenance of such an office, the as
! ISOLATION pledging itself to work by
individual vote and personal influence
for such legislation.
|, The following officers were elected
for the ensuing year: President, Georgs
H. Gurler of DeKalb; vice-president
John Newman, Elgin: secretary. J. Il
, Monrad of Winnetka; directors, Jno
Stewart, Elburn; r. r. Murphy, Gar
, den Plain; S. G. Soverhill, Tiskilwa
|, In. G. Wilford, Red Bud, and A. G
! Judd, Dixon.
After the reading Of the scores OF
! the butter exhibit and announcement
of awards, Mr.. F. w. Brockway ad
dressed the convention on the de
a mands OF the st. Louis Market" whicl
! he summarized in the statement: IS
: Louis demands good butter" MI
! Brockway was one of the judges Q
, the butter exhibit and explained tn
points Of the score card. He consid
i cred color a point of secondary i'm
+ portance and said that the tendenc
of the trade is towards lighter shade
/ that the Chicago and New York de
: mand is for paler hued butter tina
( st Louis. In the discussion whic
S followed Mr.. MILFORD expressed tn
: opinion that the various state dairy as
t sociations should unite to adopt
g standard color for butter and urge II
e general adoption.
One would think that three days {
y three sessions each would have e.
:, bausted the debating zeal of even sue
u enthusiastic dairy farmers as thes,
but no, at the parting of the ways a
= the trains bore them north, south, eas
s. and west, wherever two or three weI
:. gathered togther the discussions wer
!. on and butter, cream, ensilage, corr
!. and all the other terms in the "brigl
= lexicon" of the Illinois dairyma
!, fioated out upon the night air an
! doubtless mingled in their dreams {
y they sped across the rolling prairie
Il of our beloved state.
A Land Decision.--An interestir