The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-03-27
CHATS i ~
O O o WITH FARMERS

bought the Doughty farm near Prince
ton, moved up from Spencer, Iowa,
about two weeks ago. He called at
the UNION Office last week to make
preparations to keep in touch with the
people in this vicinity. Mr.. Fiero says
he is we'll pleased with this section
and thinks any farmer who is at all
progressive ought to do we'll on land
in this section.
There are some who are of the opin-
ion that farm Institutes do not pay and
have little use for them. This is true
of farmers and some business men as
we'll. This class of individuals as a
rule get through life by luck alone and
then imagine they are models of sue
cess. Some remarks of a fippant ma
ture we're made regarding the recent
institute held in Princeton. But they
cut little figure. It is pleasing to note
that the majority of farmers and bust
ness men as we'll have faith in farm
Institutes. Chas. Shearston who with
his 20O-acre farm near Spencer Brook
can be put down as one of the
leading and most prosperous farmers
in this section, took time to attend the
institute, and acknowledged that it was
grand thing to the farmers in this
vicinity. Charlie knows a thing or
two himself about soil, the value of
clover, etc., and is no back number
when it comes to raising hogs. Still
he learned several things at the insti-
tute, and is frank enough to acknowl-
edge it. He surprised Forest Henry
when he told him that he had pastured
cattle on a clover field one fall and cut
two crops from the same field the next
year, and from the second crop had
threshed twenty bushels of fine clover
seed that was sold to Mr.. Galley. Old
farmers told Mr.. Shearston this could
not be done, and that he would get no
clover crop the next year if he turned
his cattle on the field. ''But I figured
there was nothing too good for my cat
tle," said Mr.. Shearston, land decided
to turn them on the clover and let next
year take care of itself.'' He says
there is nothing too good for either
his cattle or hogs. He raises the Po-
land Chinas and with his hogs as we'll
as with his cattle he always gets the
top of the market. 'sBreed and feed
your stock so that you can set the
price on the same and not have to dis
pose of your stock for what the buyer
chooses to pay you. Many farmers do
not have knack of knowing the true
value of their products and always sell
at a disadvantage. It is true that the
farmer has much to contend with. He
has the tickle weather, pests and dis
eases, not to say anything about the
middle man who is pretty good at
figuring himself. Some farmers kick
on the herd law, and in place of fenc-
ing in their farm and keeping their ami
mails on their own farms, to enrich the
same, would rather let them run loose
and fertilize some other mans field.
This is poor way to figure" Mr..
Shearston told of one time having
eight brood sOws which were a little
run down and a neighbor of his said
he would not give five cents piece for
them. He commenced feeding them
squash, and when he got their systems
in good shape put them on corn and
the result was marvellous. A month
later the same neighbor in looking at
the same hogs inquired where he had
got such fine looking animals, and
would not believe that feed alone was
responsible for the change. eyes, sir,
[ think the institute was a grand
thing, and believe that if man had
only one acre of land he would be justi-
fed in attending farm institute.''
S. Windsor who came up from
Mitchell county, Iowa, last fall, and
bought the Frank Prescott farm, was
in town last Saturday waiting for the
freight on which were two fine thor
oughbred Percheron stations which
had been shipped him from Iowa for
his farm. They arrived safe and sound
and were pretty pair OF animals that
would be valuable acquisition to any
farming section. Mr.. Windsor says
he is very well pleased with the coun-
try and the prospects. With the soil
here most anything in the way of farm
crops will grow successfully. Down in
Iowa land is worth $50 and upwards an
acre and at that price farmers must re.
sort to artificial fertilization in many
cases, and for crops the land is not as
certain as here and crops not as
varied. Mr.. Windsor will follow close
along the lines of diversified farming.
He has some good blooded stock,
among his stock being some blooded