The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-03-20

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= sII S4ssdE NRY VANDRESER, est TIA
y 81 Of New York. = 3. 4
- 3EssS: j. FAIRFIELD of Iowa. Topic.
~ zSE41fOREST HENRY, of Fill "AjSi' e
. more county, MINI. 1ntere
. lI$S.L. y. .JOHANNOT-SOloist. ~ L.. T. e.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
The farmers institute at Princeton
last riday and Saturday was one Of
the.b best held in the State the past
winter. There was an excellent corps
OF Instructors. A. W.. Trow, one of
Mslnn1esota's leading and progressive
farmers, was director and made an ex-
ceHent presiding officer. He was as
sisted BY some Of the best instructors
IN Institute work, among~them MeKeen
OF Maine, VanDreser of New York and
Terry Of Ohio, all foremost In the adj
vaneement Of agriculture. They we're
ably assisted BY Forest Henry Of Min
nesota and S. J. Fairfield of. Iowa.
The opera house was packed at both
sessions on Friday, and despite the
1weather on Saturday there was a good
attendance, all that could be asked for
considering the condition of the
:weaeher. L. G. Johannot who accom-
panIss the institute corps, enlivened
the Sessions with his farm songs, every
one being sung with telling effect.
Az the forenoon session Friday the
opera house was crowded and there
we're fully 500 present when A. W.
Tr ' who was in charge of the insti-
tuition work at this place arose and in
troduced Supt. B. w. McKeen of
Maine, who spoke on the value of rota-
ti9n Of crops. The speaker spoke Of
the.nature and value of crops. The
.matter Of soil and the ability to pro-
iduce, crops is Of the first Importance.
Every thing for, which the world is
thankful to-day comes from the soil.
TOoOften it has become the custom to
continue the monied crops to the ex-
clusipn Of those crops which are neces-
saryto maintain soil fertility. How
ever rich the land may be naturally,
the persistent growing Of these monied
scrpps alone, produces q constant de-
stsfi aration in the land ]. G Changing the
.crefs by some good system Of rotation
will prevent this undesirable result.
Stock should be kept as we'll as special
crops grown, to maintain soil fertility.
The natural soil is composed of finely
ground rock, or mineral matter; and
the humus, or decayed vegetable mat
ter. AS all crops are largely composed
of vegetable matter it is important
that the natural conditions be main
tanned. Old, cultivated fields are apt
to be deficient in humus, unless an in
telligent system of crop rotation has
been followed. AS every crop will re-
move a portion of this vegetable mat
ter, so plan the rotation that upon
some part of the farm crop shall be
growing to increase the productive
capacity of the soil. Nature works
with man through this method of ro-
tation, creating ''sinking fund.- in
the soil of plant food which can be
drawn.:upon by the subsequent monied
crop. - -
He spoke of the method of an intense
system of farming put in practice on a
35-acre farm in Maine where at one
time it required three acres of land to
support one animal and where one ton
of hay per acre was all that could be
raised. A fifty-acre pasture on an ad-
joining hillside was abandoned and
allowed to pass back into the posses
sion of nature and more work and
practical study was put on the small
farm adjoining. The whole secret of
his success was in crop rotation. In
the matter of blowing he stated that
deep blowing turned the organic mat
ter of the soil to the bottom of the fur
row and the mineral portion was left
on top. Even in the distribution of
the farm manure there was an equal
distribution made over the fields SO
that the land would derive all the ben
efits possible from the same.
Rotation as followed by Mr.. McKeen
consists in putting one-fifth of the farm
into corn, one-fifth into grain, two
tifths into grasses, and the remaining
fifth into pasture. This system has
not only given largely increased crops,
but in about twelve to fifteen years has
increased the soil fertility seventy. five
per cent. < :-s>..3 -.a ..s.> -.
+. FERTILITY AND CLOVER.
Hon. T. B. Terry Of Ohio, followed
with q talk on ''Soil Fertility and
Clover" He was introduced as large
farmer on a small farm and was hon
ored by his own state with the pre-
MUM for having the. best titled farm
in OhiO Mr. Torrv said fhof Nv n,.nI,o,.