The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
FARMEn,s INSTITUTE.
The Attendance not Large. but an Int Or,
estinp Session was held.

The annual meeting OF the Decat
County farmers Institute held at the
court house in this city on Thursday
and Friday was not largely attended ,
but those present were very enthuastic,
and the meeting was both pleasant
and profitable to them. Various means
contributed to the small attendance, the
roads being very bad, meetings being
held at the churches, and on Thursday
evening performance at the opera hall
attracting great many people.
There seems to be decided lack of
interest by the farmers of the county
in regard to the institute. They do not
seem to appreciate that the institute is
for their benefit, no matter whether
they are farming on large or small
scale.
Another reason for the small attend.
ance was that the meeting was not
thoroughly advertised, the only adj
vertising being the publishing of the
program in the papers. To make any
kind of public meeting success it
must be advertised extensively. Had
a few thousand bills and posters been
distributed over the county, we believe
the court house would not near have
held the crowd. We hope the next
institute, no matter where it is held,
will be we'll advertised.
The institute was called to order at
l:3O Thursday afternoon by President
Ralph Baker, and after the invocation
by Rev. Joseph Stephen, pastor of the
NJ. T.. church, Hon. v. II. McGinnis
made an address of welcome on behalf
of the citizens of Leon. His address
showed very plainly that at some per.
iod Of his life Nc had an extensive
experience with life on farm.
Hon. Guy p. Arnold, of Garden
Grove, who recently returned from
a two year stay in the klondyke
country, responded to the address OF
welcome in his always entertaining
manner.
VIM. E. Cannon, of Eden township,
read paper on Mutual Insurance in
which he showed the difference in the
cost of mutual insurance as compared
with the old stock companies. He has
given the subject much attention and
a long and interesting discussion fol.
lowed. We will publish next week MIR.
Gammon's paper on the subject, and
it is we'll worth reading.
The afternoon session was then adj
journed.
The evening session was convened
at 7:45 o'clock, the Parlor Mandolin
Club furnishing some excellent music.
Rev. T.. B. Heaton, of Van Vert,
made the address of the evening, his
subject being ''The American Farmer. /"
His address was very interesting and
the subject was thoroughly discussed
by nearly every one present.
FRIDAYS SESSION.
The morning session was called to
order at 1890 o'clock, the session being
business one.
The first business was the election
of officers for the ensuing year. Pres.
ident Ralph Baker, one Of the most
enthusiastic institute workers, was re.
elected by reclamation, Capt. j. d.
Brown being elected vice. president.
Robert McCaull was also re elected as
secretary by reclamation, and Emmett
Gardner for treasurer. An executive
committee of five members was chosen,
consisting of Lewis CARRIER, j. w.
Keller, II. E. Dye, Capt. j. d. Brown
and George Short.
On motion the president and secre.
tary were added to the executive com.
mittee, and the committee was author.
lied to name the place of meeting of the
next institute, arrange the program
and attend to such other business as
il necessary to be transacted.
A motion prevailed that the com.
mittee was instructed to prepare sci
of bylaws for the institute and to
define the duties of the executive com.
mittee.
w. H. Weller, of Davis City, was on
the program for paper on 'airains
and Grasses and in his absence ReY.
Z. B. Heaton made q short but inter.
esting extemporaneous talk ON the
subject.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At the afternoon session the first
on the program was paper on 'Sheer
Husbandry' by William Woodland, Of
Decatur. MIR. Woodland was unable tc
be present, but his carefully prepared
paper was read by the secretary. II
was followed by general discussion
particularly in regard to "foot rot, =
sstomach worms" and "catarrah of the
head" President Baker made quite
a dissertation on the question, he
having had considerable experience
with sheep.
This was followed by a paper on
clarifying" by q. d. Mallette, of Gar
den Grove, cheese making in particular
being thoroughly discussed.
| Prof. James Atkinson, assistant pro.
fessor Of agriculture at the State Agrl'
cultural College at Ames, then address
ed the institute along the lines Of
"Field Crops" and the rotation Of
crops, corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye,
clover and timothy, together with q
system of tile draining. He was full
of information and ready to answer
all questions on any of the subjects
that were asked him.
| EVENING SESSION.
| The evening session was called tc
order at o'clock as Prof. Atkinson
was compelled to leave on the Sill
train. He made an excellent shor,
address on the subject of "Farm Life
VS.. City Life" in which he advised al
young men brought up on farm t,
get a practical education and remain
on the farm.
oThe Parlor Mandolin Club was pres
ent and assisted with their music.
Mrs. John Long read an able paper
on "Home Attractions" which wa.
favorably commented upon. We vii
print the paper in full in future
| issue.
On motion vote of thanks 10 those
| who read papers on the various sub
jects, also to the people of Leon fOl
their very kind and hospital entertain
ment of the strangers who were in at
tendance was passed, and the institut.
c,,,o a. 4