Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-01-19
TOPICS OF THE FARM.
Annual Meeting of County lnsti-
tute in Progress at Port
Byron.
BY J. G. OSBORNE.

President w. III. Wheaton Responds-
Stormy Weather Keeps Many Away
FROM the Gathering-Programo of the
Opening Day-"PouItry for Profit" by
WI. wyman-other Papers.
Port Byron. Jan. 19.-The annual
meeting of the Farmers institute was
convened in the town hall at Port By
ron Thursday morning, but the
stormy weather caused small at
tendance. The meeting was called TO
order by President w. II. Wheaton.
The invocation was pronounced by
Rev. j. c. Craine, of the Methodist
church. j. q. Osborne gave the ad-
dress of welcome, and assured the
delegates that the citizens of Port
Byron ackno wledged and appreciated
the importance of the farmer. and
that the success of all business enter
prise in cities. towns and villages de-
pended mostly upon the success and
pros perity OF agriculture. President
Wheaton made a suitable response.
On account of the small attendance,
and MIR. WOODBURY., who was upon the
program. not being present, an adj
jOurument was taken until after din
ner.
The afternoon session was opened
by singing, with organ accompani-
ment, by male and female pupils of
the Port Byron p6bIic school.
Poultry for Profit" was the next
topic by w. F. Wymau, of Sycamore.
He said in part that when he first
began to hear and think about chick
ems and poultry, he thought it was
trifling and unimportant business,
but when he saw at one exhibition an
Englishman paying 800 for one bird.
he began 10 think it was worthy his
attention. He read an exhaustive ar
ticle on the extent and importance of
the egg and poultry business, which
was sufficiently interesting to COM
mand the closest attention of all pres
ent. He read figures from the last
census, showing an increase of so
per cent in egg production from 1880
to 1890, while the increase in the
chicken population in that time was
100 per cent.
The choir sang The Farmer Feeds
Them AL"
"swine Industry"
Swine Industry" was discussed by
S. l.. WOODBURY.. He said the hog
business in the United States was
ponderous affair; that we now raise
about 1000 900 hogs yearly, valued
at $40, 900. 900, and 10 feed and care
for them properly is a most important
matter. They should be fed variety
of food, corn, oats, clover hay, pota-
toes and pumpkins. They should be
raised in small punches and should be
IL . baI haI
often. He thought farmers frequent
" made n mistake in changing the
feed from dry to green in Septem Der.
They should be fed green feed spar
ingly at first. He thought it was
good plan 10 have the hog pens near
enough so that the women could care
for them by giving them milk occa-
sionally as they required it.
Dairy Management" was the topic
assigned to President Wheaton. He
stated that it had been said that the
most important part of a dairy was
the cows, but he thought the most i'm
pOrtant part was the right man or
woman to run it, it being an every
day business. 365 days to the year.
Cows should have a good, warm sta
BILE and should he made comfortable.
A COW stable should be frost proof.
should have plenty of sun light and
be well ventilated. He had great faith
in silage and clover for feed. Corn
alone was too carbonaceous. He
thought bran at the present time was
cheaper than oats, and it was his ex
perience that vegetables of some kind
should be fed with dry feed. He did
not think it best for a dairyman to
buy his cows, but raise them himself.
There was an evening session at
1880, when Supt. S. j. Ferguson, of
Rock Island, gave an address, on Our
SobOnlc