The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-02-20
INSTITUTE
AT ODESSA.

Monday was a stormy day ant
the country roads drifted full SC
that not very great number O.
farmers could assemble to NEE
the Institute that DIR. Neale and
Mr. Joseph Wing Of Ohio gave al
Odessa. Yet there was n repre-
sentative attendance of our bright
est and most progressive people
and Mr.. Wing gave them the
best that was in him. Rather an
unusual experience has been Mr..
Wings. He comes OF English
blood identified with farming and
country life and stock bre ding
as long as records show some
three hundred years so that "A
love of country life and live stock
is his by inheritance and instinct
he has an experience as stock
farmer in Ohio and rancher in the
Rockies that makes him an inter-
esting speaker.
II take the ground" said Mr..
Wing, "that it does not pay to
farm. That is to farm, the ordi-
nary farm, with its poor soil de-
pletd by years of cropping with
its lack Of good live stock, is I'M
profitable You must plow and
cultivate many acres to fill a crib
with corn. Yor must NOV many
acres to fill your barns with hay.
1t all costs more than you get out
Of it. The ordinary farmer is not
making anything. The man who
is not an ordinary farmer on the
other hand has u good business
proposition.
When | was Il young man [
left my fathers farm in Ohio and
going West became interested in
Il large cattle rancho where | be-
came foreman. | loved the life
and throyo under it. AT last,
however, my father needed me at
home. He was old and sould no
longer carry on the business
without me. I came home to take
the farm Of 200 acres. 1t was
naturally a good farm but it had
been greatly injured by injulicious
1t was wet and needed
draining. I was ignorant of what
the income from the farm was, ua-
til my father showed me his
books and | learned with dismav
that the gross receipts the year
| came home was "A tritie less
than 500. This was a shock to
me. | had left a good salary in
the West for farm that was not
paying even Il small dividend on
the investment. However ] was
net dismayed, There were possi-
bilities in the soil if | could I'M
lock them. I took the uitclling
spade and went right to work. L
had very little money, [ began
digging for tile under drains and
laying the tile with my own hands
reasoned that if could redeem
the land from its soggy condition
l could induce clovers and alfalfa
TO grow thereon. Alfalfa | had
grown in the West and it had
given me u new hope. All the
|irst winter | dug drains and it
was a happy winter.
| could see tho water running
way and think. "on this sour,
vet land where only inferior gras-
,es grow, now | will see rich clover
'orn and maybe alfalfa grow some
lay, and | shed off my muddy
'lotnes and waded across the
fields to see my sweetheart at
hight with a gay heart.
The next summer my father
lied. This left me free to plan
Us I liked though greatly missed
lis counsel. I had little money.
The farm, ! learned had seven
small fields, Of irregular shape.
Nearly every one Of them need
ii some draining. Nearly every
me needed enriching. The crops
we're varied, IA little of nearly
'verything. ! soon saw the need
II more fertility. There wa, a
illage near where ] could buy |
table manure. ] madea wagon
'ox so large that it would hold an
normous load and began to haul |
nut mamnes. 1t was not always |
'leasant to do this for noticed !
hat sometimes young ladies would |
meet me and not recognize me as
hey passed by. And people
'ould declare that "Joe" Wing
'as shrinking up the whole country