The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-01-26
THE FARMERS, INSTITUTE
A Great Success. Tillers of the Soil Take
Lively Interest In 1t. Experts Discuss
the Dairy, Fruit Culture and
Other Tories,


sent. The institute was opened by
Director w. l.. Amoss, of the Mary
landsAgricultral College, and from the
beginning lively interest was mani
tested by the farmers. 1t was a rep
resentativesgathering, Smen successful
as farmers and fully competent to
discuss the questions pertaining to
modern farming and the welfare of
the farmer. The institute was the
largest ever held in the county and
Director Amoss was especially pleased
and felt greatly encouraged. The
farmers, Mr. Amoss said, were begin
ming to understand that these insti-
tutes were being held for their bene-
fit. He delivered brief address, out
lining the work of the institutes and.
then introduced Mr.. Van Alstyne, of
New York, a prominent fruit grower
and dairyman, who spoke on the sub
ject of Food and Care of the Dairy
Cow
Mr.. Van Alstyne told how COW.
should be kept in order to obtain ,tsSs,
best results. Regarding stabling he
insists upon warmth, cleanliness, and
plenty of water and light. He did not
believe it good plan to keep the COW
in the stable all the time as is done in
some dairying sections. On the con-
trary, dairy COWS should have exercise
and sunshine. He laid much stress on
the necessity for balancing rations,"
that is selecting in right proportions
the fat, blood and muscle producing
foods necessary to give the desired re-
suits. Timothy hay and corn meal,
he cOntended, 1were not the proper
rations for COW which was being
kept for the dairy. Glover hay or
corn fodder with wheat bran mixed
with corn chop was better for the
production of milk. He called spe-
cial attention to the fact, that an old
COW needed greater proportion of
blood producing foods than a young
and thrifty animal. The lecturer
next referred to the value of ensilage
as a milk food.
At the afternoon session Mr.. George
T. Powell, of Client, n. Y, one of the
foremost fruit growers of the United
States, lectured on the care of the
orchard His talk was mainly on
apples and the care of the soil. He
advised that the soil be set in crimson
clover and plowed under every year.
This will give the proper amount of
oxygen to the ground and at the same
time retain the moisture if the season
be exceedingly dry as is sometimes
the case. He gave hints how to rid
the trees of borers. Mr.. Powell gave
blackboard illustrations as he pro-
ceeded with his lecture. Those pres
ent gained considerable valuable in
formation from his talk
Mr.. Powell had charge of the fruit
exhibit at the Worlds Fair.
At the evening session townspeople
turned out in large numbers to hear
Prof. VIM Bullock Clark's lecture on
1.-THE Rocks of Maryland and their
Economic Resources The lecture
was thoroughly appreciated. The
illustrations thrown upon the screen
by stereopticon added much to the
interest and views of Western Mary
land scenery was especially fine.
Prof Clark said that Allegany
county led the State in it's mineral
wealth and that Maryland had lar
ger variety of geological formations
than any other state of it's size. He
told of early geological explorations
and of the important industries of
colonial days when Maryland led in
products of iron, chrome and copper.
These products are no longer i'm
portant because they can be produced
more economically elsewhere. He
spoke of the establishment of the
Principal furnace in Cecil county in
I~S, III WI ullc w UOll
were interested, and of the Catoctin
furnace in Frederick county, which
furnished material for the revolutions
airy army.
Gneiss, quartz, slate, marble, i'm
portant building stones which are
products of Central Maryland or the
Piedmont plateau, and the sand
stones, limestones, granite and cement
rock all received notice.
The fold formations of the rocks in
Western Maryland were revealed in
many views and explained, and the
action of streams upon the surfaces,
of the state was shown.
The coal formations made of veget7
able debris at later period than the
rock formations. were of course inter-
estingly treated land the lecturer
expressed the opinion that at ond
time nearly all of Allegany county1
Garrett county and parts of WASH
ington county had coal seams, bud
that only the deeper seams in the(