Smyrna times., 1905-02-08
SNOW BANKED ROADS KEEP
FARMERS FROM INSTITUTE
SESSION HELD IN SMYRNA LAST FRIDAY
BROKEN INTO BY SEVERE WEATHER.
zsrJ Temperature and Snow Blocked Roads
Keep Many Away but Despite This an To-
teresting Program Was Rendered.


teresting Program Was Rendered.
The Farmers Institute which was
held in the Smyrna Opera House last
Friday was not the success that the
management had hoped for it owing to
the severe winter weather. the snow
blocked condition of the roads and the
absence of some of the speakers who
were to have taken part on the pro-
gram. Notwithstanding this there
we're between seventy-five and a hun.
dred present when Vice President Jo-
seph E. Carter called the meeting to
order. The morning meeting had to
be held in the Alderman's office, ow-
ing to the zero weather and the inabil-
lty of the janitor to heat the Opera
House. The first speaker was Wesley
Webb, the efficient secretary of thc
State Board of Agricultural who
entertained his hearers for nearly an
hour on the ''San Jose Scale and Its
Present Condition in Delaware" As
this disease is prevalent to a more or
less degree in this vicinity his remarks
were listened to with considerable in
lterest The spraying of trees affected
with the scale possibly brought forth
the most discussion and it seemed to
be the unanimous opinion of the fruit
growers present that the best wash was
the lime sulphur salt solution which
not only killed the scale but was pre-
ventative for leaf curl. With some, the
limeoid mixture was a popular wash
and was used effectively in ma ny or
chards.
F. c. BaHcrOfts Fine Talk on Poultry Keeping.
F. G. Bancroft of Camden gave the
closing address of the morning and his
subject was "Poultry Keeping, Feeds
and Breeds, and Winter Care" This
subject was of general interest to the
/ farmers and as Mr.. Bancroft is an au-
thority on poultry raising be gave out
much valuable information. He
pointed to the fact that there was no
"side line" in connection with the
farm more profitable than poultry
keeping and if given proper attention
would yield spIe ibid revenue. He
said that he had 600 laying hens of the
LeghOrn breed on his farm that yielded
him last year clear and above all ex-
penses between $3.50 and $1,000 He
exhibited at the farmers meeting Fri
day model of an up-to-date poultry
house which he explained to the salts
faction of all present. There were SO
many valuable suggestions in his ad-
dress that it is unfortunate that there
were not more present to hear him.
When he had concluded he was piled
with numerous questions in the free
parliamentary discussion that followed
Knew all About Asparagus but Wouldn't Tell.
The afternoon session was held in
the Opera House but the temperature OF
the room did not permit of sitting long
at time without an overcoat. Never
theless a goodly number were present
more particularly because the after
noon program promised a fine treat
The first speaker was H. w. Ridgeway
OF Swedesboro, New Jersey, who held
the close attention of his hearers on
"The Essential Points of Asparagus
Production" The speaker was not
long in showing those present that he
knew something about asparagus cuI-
ture and what he saw fit to give out
was very interesting to the culturists
present but he was wise enough to
Keep the secret to himself. He claims
to have propagated his own variety
from careful and constant study and
he had on exhibition some of the lar
gest specimens ever seen here. He
was piled with many questions almost
to the extent of being ''jollied" by his
questioners but every effort to get him
to tell his variety failed and for this
reason his'remarks seemed to fall fiat.
S. II. Derby Tells of Winter Apples.
Prof. G. L. Penney of the Delaware
College Experiment Station who was
to have given his popular lecture on
The Growth of Crimson Glover" was
unable to be present owing to an ac-
cldent which befell him in his labora-
tory. Mr.. s. II. Derby of Woodside
was substituted and gave very enter
tanning and Instructive talk on Oscar
let Glover and Apples" AS he and
Prof. Penney had been making some
experiments on his(Mr. Derby's) farm,
ne was able to give some of the inter
esting points of the Professors lecture.
1t was found by the constant use Of
scarlet clover that the plant had Oh
tanned all it's fertilizing properties by
the middle of April except very small