The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-03-25
INSTITUTE is OPENED
Farmers Assemble in Large Numbers
to Hear Speakers.
The Latest Ideas in Farm Methods
Are advanced.
Talks Along Practical Lines BY Sue
cessful Farmers.
Attendance at Todays' Sessions Large
and Attentive.
From Fridays Daily.

From Fridays Daily.
The state farmers institute opened at
the opera house at ten o'clock this fore
noon. Not many seats were filed at the
opening hour, but before the first speak
er had concluded his topic the greater
part of the seats on the main floor were
filed and there was a steady stream of
farmers going in at the front door. This
promises to be one of the largest and
best Institutes held this winter. 1t is
the last one to be held, and both corps
have united to make it the most valu-
able and instructive yet held.
A very intelligent audience, compos-
ed almost entirely of farmers and their
families, listened to the proceedings to-
day, and frequently participated by ask
ing questions of the different speakers
that showed that they were giving the
words of the speakers their closest at
tention. Members of the audience were
cordially invited to ask all the ques-
tions that they wanted to, in order to
bring out points that seemed doubtful
or little touched upon, and the response
to this enlivened the proceedings.
The addresses were practical, and the
speakers tried to make their points
clear. All are interesting takers, and
even the ladies showed a large amount
of interest. 1t is apparent to those who
attend these meetings that great deal
of good is done if the information given
out is put into practical use.
The ladies department opened at two
o'clock this afternoon in the A. 0. U.
W. hall, and proved to be one of the
most interesting features of the insti-
tute.
The Free Press gives the substance of
the talks made by the different speakers,
believing that the more widely dissemin-
ated the information is, the better it will
be.
7. c. Gaynor of Ontario delivered an
address on "The Care and Application of
Farm Yard Manure One of the most
important things for the farmer to con-
slider is the manure pile. In order to
get good crops, one of the essential
things is a supply of available plant
food The three essential elements OF
this plant food supply are nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash.
Farm yard manure contains these
three clements and is therefore called
a general manure Of these three ele-
ments nitrogen is the most liable to get
away from us. We can hold the other
two because they are mineral Nitrogen
is also the most valuable at market
prices for commercial fertilizers, as it is
worth twice as much as phosphoric
acid and about three times as much as
potash.
In the application of farm yard man
5lres to soils, we will sustain little or no
loss of the two mineral ntanures, but
nitrogen may either 60 up in the air
or down in the soil, so that plants may
not benefit by it on our own farms at
least. With these facts in view in
handling manure, we should never let
it heat or fre-fang nor heat
to the point of even causing steam
to rise from it. We should never let
it be washed by the waters from our
buildings, and we should always look
closely after the liquid manure, to have
it absorbed by straw or other good alb
sorbents as muck and get it into the
SOIL
One of the best ways to economic
in time, labor and money, and at the
same time get the best all around re-
suits. is to haul it fresh from the stables
to the piece of land to which it is to be
supplied, and spread it as you 60. 10
those who can afford a manure spreader,
it is an excellent machine.
Another good way in caring for ma
nure is to keep as much stock in box
stalls as possible, and keep adding fresh
litter from time to time, and then clean