The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-01-18
THE farmers INSTITUTE.
Many Valuable Pointers Given on
Matters Affecting the Farm
ers' POcket.BOOk.

Bancroft, the Attraction for Many Of
Shiawassee's Best Farmers Wed.
nesday and Thursday.
Papers of Visiting Speakers Practical
and Interesting--Local Speakers also
did Themselves and the County
Credit.
Shiawassee farmers do not care to be.
gin an instituteearly in the morni ng of
a stormy, clustering day. The truth of
this was made evident Wednesday at
Bancroft where an attendance of only
about score of farmers and their wives.
together with a delegation of newspaper
men met in the opera house in this vii.
lage to begin the 1901 institute.
Whether the fact that there was nota-
ing on the program for the morning
meeting besides the addresses OF well
come and the response to the same had
anything to do with the small attend
ance may. however, be question for the
consideration of future program com
mittees.
The institute was called to order at
10:40 by the chairman, Mr. j. S. Lemon
who in the briefest and most business
like way opened the institute and called
on Mr.. G. E. Godfrey, of Bancroft, to
deliver the address of welcome. Mr..
Godfrey referred to the growing value
and prevalence of Institutes and con-
ventions and assured the audience that
Bancroft felt favored by its presence
and had her latch string out. The re.
sponse was made by Mr.. F. M. Whelan
in his usual elegant style which is a
pleasure to any audience which may
hear him. After the response an an
nouncement of change in the pro-
gram was made, bringing the paper by
Miss Maud r. Keller on the program for
Wednesday afternoon instead of Thurs.
day afternoon.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
The afternoon session was called to
order by Chairman j. S. Lemon at one
O'Clock, and after singing America, Mr..
l.. w. Oviatt, of North Williams, was
called on for his address on'Labor Savers
on the Farm. Mr.. Oyiatt admits that
he believes in the use of such labor saw
ing tools as have seats for the users
The real labor savers however are the
machines which do not cost more orig.
inally, and tor repairs, than the labor
which the amount of the interest on the
investment, the repairs. depreciation,
housing, etc., would purchase. Mr.
Oviatt recommends the use of two hay
forks fastened together by short chain
or whippletree as being as much more
satisfactory than the use of single fork
as that is superior to the old method Of
pitching the load of by hand. The use
of "planker" is recommended by Mr..
Oviatt even moro highly than that of a
roller and he showed . simple model of
one which any farmer can make with q
few planks, something like two heavy
plank doors hinged together at the ends
to be dragged fat side down, broadside
to front. A fence in which the old rails
from rail fences were used for the bot.
tom of new fence, the ends of the
rails resting between double posts,
while the eight strands from the old
wire fences stretched over many more
rods when but two strands were used
above the rails as fixed between the
posts, was another practical. cheap and
satisfactory scheme. The result was
more rods Of fencing and better fencing.
The old style gate with weight to
balance the same is regarded by Mr..
Oviatt as one of the most durable. and
one which can be built very cheaply by
any farmer The talk was discussed
briefly by Mr.. c. H. H. Payne, who
added some easily made labor savers of
his own device among them being q
cleverly devised scheme of using a
stanchion to hold pigs while they are
being ringed.
Miss Maud r. Keller, of the Agricul.
tural College, addressed the institute
on the work with the girls at that col
lege. The beginning of the new century
brought out reviews of the work of the
past century. This century showed
greater achievements than all the rest
since the beginning of the Christian era.
It has also brought the greatest advance
in the position of women and what is
being done for women In the Agricul.
tural College of the state, to help make
the young women of today fitted for the
greater work they will have this the
century just beginning was taken by Miss
Keller as her subject. The fires OF
the new girls building have been
kindled never to 20 out. A new home
life has been started. New ideas of the
nobility of household work are given to
the ones who will keep the home hearth
fires later on. The girls 60 out with
clearer ideas Of the ways in which to
cara f,r their own hodiaa IN clothe