Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-01-24

The Delaware County Farmers Insti- /
tute was held Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday of last week in the court
house in this city. The attendance was
large and the program unusually inter
esting and instructive. The beneficial
results of these meetings can hardly be
overestimated. Men of years of expert
ence in their different lines give their
ideas and thoughts on agricultural
topics. More practical knowledge may
be derived from an institute of this
kind than from any other source. On
account of the bad weather the attend
ance was not as large on the first day
as on the following ones.
Rev. II. w. Tuttle opened the exer-
cises with prayer and M. F. Leroy
delivered the address of welcome. He
spoke of the advancement of Delaware
county during the past generation and
attributed the rapid growth to the far
mers, and not to the people, who live in
the towns. The villages and towns
would be powerless were they to be de-
prived of the backing and support of
the agricultural part of the community.
He said that it was brain mixed with
the soil that made this county pros
porous.
In response, j. F. Graham spoke of
the hearty welcome always extended to
the farmers by the people of Manches,
ter, and thanked them for their interest
and good will. He read paper as fol
lows:
J.F Graham's Paper.
The mission ofIthe, Farmers Insti-
tute is to give an impetus to do bet
ter work and pursue improved and
progressive methods on the farm, by
supplying practical information. based
on study and experience. 1t brings
together the farmers of the county
and those interested, and enables
them to consult in practical way
and from the standpoint of experience
upon the various problems affecting
the farm both as home and bust
ness undertaking, thus making the
views of each the property of all. In
these progressive times and under the
close competition of today, Drawn
alone will not succeed in agriculture.
1t must be accompanied by thought
and skill, trained hand and eye,
and we should understand something
of the conditions under which crop!
feed and grow best, how to conserve
soil moisture, the constituents of the
various feeds for stock, the ration!
best adapted to the various uses fol
which they are fed, the best manage
ment of stock for profit, the best age
at which to sell stock, the best fence
(and it should be a tight fence), ant
above all how to make the best home
and its environment and how to in
cu1cate good morals among the chill
dren-these should have our bes
thought and attention.
We are interested in good schools
The township graded school with tn
township library and better teacher
with better pay are coming, and ar
worthy of our best thought and &C
ton. We are also interested in goo
roads, and the township road district
with better system of making road
and better management of road wor
ID coming, as also are Une rural oall
mail delivery and the telephone o
every farm. Let us keep in the va
of the procession that is going GU
way, and work for all that is best
proving all things and holding fas
to that which is good. !"
Mutual Insurance. was the fri
topic on the program for discussion
O. A. Pierce was absent, and F. I
Durey was called upon, reading th
following interesting paper: