Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-26
w orcester and Grafton Agrlcul-
turists Combine.
Successful Grafton Meeting Attended BY
Big Audiences-Address by Gen. F.
H. Appleton and Elmer D. Howe.


present and took copious notes of the
proceedings for future reference in their
school work. Warren c. Jewett, the
president of the Worcester Agricultural
Society, who was to have presided, was
unavoidably absent, and Calvin L.
Hartshorn of Worcester presided at both
sessions. AT the noon hour asubstan-
tial dinner was served to the many vis-
itors present,
At the forenoon session Elmer D.
Howe of Marlboro, past master of the
state grange, gave an instructive talk
on the subject, Following my wife's
advice" Mr. Howe condensed his ad
vice in the statement, Let us get good
things, even If we do have to get along
with fewer of them, rather than cheap
things which will soon look shabby"
and from that he extended his line of
thought over all the essential questions,
the right dealing with which will bring
success to any earnest, perSeVering
farmer
He first applied his advice to a young
family just beginning housekeeping and
the many perplexing questions which
present themselves for permanent solu-
tion-the selection and purchase Of a
home, the furnishing of house in
neat, comfortable, attractive manner,
yet with a view to economy and sub
stantiability In this connection he
made laughable comparisons, in which
he always brought out good point. He
then applied the same principle on the
farm, and said that good farming i'm
plementS at a reasonable price, even
though it be considerable more than that
of the cheaper articles, would in many
cases repay the difference in cost the
first year, at the end of which they
would be little worse for wear, and of
q 11py .f11-ifa ap1
article, which was very likely to break
the first time used. In speaking of farm
neip he strongly stated that if farmers
would look more at the help they hire
and the results that may be expected
from their work, instead of at the wages
paid, farming would be a better paying
business, for certainly it is better to pay
a good man 500 or $25 a month and
board than it is to pay a "greenhorn"
$40 and find that when lle was sent to
the field to hoe corn, he hoed up the
0rn and eff the weeds to grow, or than
when told to care for sick COW he had
given her a large ration of cotton-seed
meal, resulting in $50 loss, when the
extra expense OF $40 would have obtain
"a horse that can be depended on to
mold his row on every and all occasions
is much better than one that has sick
spells or fits of standing still in the mid
die of the road, and COW that will give
ten or twelve quarts of milk per day
is preferable to one that only gives f1ve
or six quarts on the same amount of
grain and with the same care" was the
substance of his remarks in that line
Mr.. Howe strongly advocated a libe-
raj education for the children and the
adoption of conveniences for lessening
labor indoors, as well as in the field.
Why some farmers cling to old methods
which have no advantage whatever, ex-
cept possible or imaginary consolenc1
that grandfather did it that way" aTs
things which he could not explain and
has never seen a man who could, and at
the same time show any material be-
nefit derived therefrom.
Buy good things rather than cheap"
Mr.. Howe did not mean necessarily eX-
travagance, but on the contrary wise
economy and study of Appropriateness;
for instance, a ten-cent leather watch
chain rather than five dollar gold one
for everyday use on the farm.
Several Worcester and Grafton men
spoke on the topic, and at about -
o'clock a recess was taken for dinner.
AT 2 o'clock the institute reassembled,
and Chairman Hartshorn introduced as
the speaker of the afternoon, Gen.
Francis H. Appleton, president of the
Massachusetts Horticultural Society
who spoke on Road side improvement"
Gen. Appleton commenced by saying
that he should endeavor to be guided in
treating his subject, somewhat by the
questions that might be asked him dur
ing his talk" as telling him of the con-
ditions existing in the district over
which his words were intended to be
the more effective.
He said that ne regarded the treat
ment of the surface of this state as of
very great Importance and bearing
upon the portion among the other states
of the Union that are so fast coming
into portions of large populations, TAX
ing advantage of our free educational
plants and becoming wealthy, and thus
powerful
In the east we love history which
can be made use of to us as valuable
attraction, and thus be highly capi-
talized to our advantages; but, as val
liable picture is SO much enhanced by an
attractive frame, so is our history and
the natural beauties around historical
places enhanced by frame of the i'm
provements and trimmings of natural
resources.
The Almighty gave us attributes
about our persons, but how we feel en-
hanced in looks and Importance among
our fellowmen by the treatment of bar
ber and tailor-to add the use Of soap,
waiter and other accessories Of the toilet.
SO it is with our possessions in land,
roads and all that grows upon 1t and are
built upon it.
Well-designed buildings, good-looking
and adapted to our purposes, are both
more profitable and enhance the value
of surrounding property; so with good
roads and attractive and useful road
sides.
We must have fences and walls to
keep in cattle, but these are less neces-
sary to keep out cattle than often sup
posed. They have been much used in our
eastern rocky soils to be the deposit of
rocks and stones that have been in the
way of plow, cultivators, etc.
There is g. picturesqueness in these
walls, and dhere will be some profit
when they become needed for cellar
walls as our population increases in
their midst
1t is my belief that Massachusetts,
and New England generally, is to be
sought for by others who are descend
ants Of old people, and developed to the
profit of us the present owners of her
lands. in some proportion as we Shall
advance her natural beauty and the
ease in moving about her surface in a
sound common sense way.
If we are to have state highways and
county highways Of continuous courses
and of reasonable price per mile in pro-
portion to our means to pay for them,
we must see that they are made profit
able, so that we can afford to keep them
in good order
We don't want to have to do so by
advertising our farms as abandoned be-