The Greeley tribune., 1905-03-16
MUCH VALUE.
PLEASANT VALLEY FARMER
DERIVED 1T SATURDAY
Professors From the Experiment
Station Held Institute
Valuable Hints to
the Farmer

A very interesting program was
given at the Farmers Institute, held
in the Pleasant Valley school house
last Saturday afternoon and evening.
Professors Olin, Paddock, Griffith
and Johnson from the Experiment
Station were present and gave val
liable instruction concerning the
various diseases and insects that in
fest farm crops: how to select grain
for seed and also how to select and
fatten stock for market.
At the afternoon session Professor
Griffith presented the subject Of
sheep feeding and the value of differ
ent foods for different animals. He
also described a balanced ration
and told how to secure it.
Professor Johnson told of the
habits and life of the web worm that
destroys the beets; the cut worm and
the flea beetle that did so much dam
age to potatoes last year He
had specimens of each in the various
forms in which they appear,
The web worm is not difficult to
destroy as it has parasite that eats
it when in the cocoon stage in
which it passes the winter. 1t may
be killed by spraying with paris
green or arsenate of lead. Some
failed to kill the worms last year
because they did not spray until the
worms had about stopped eating.
Birds are also very destructive to
the worm.
The flea beetle is hard to deal with
as through most of its periods of
life it remains in the earth feeding
on the underground stems and roots.
1t appears as a beetle in the early
spring, feeds on the plant for time
then deposits its eggs about the
roots of the plant. 1t does not eat
heartily enough to be easily pois-
ened. The professor had some spec
int sls of the beetle that developed
from the worm stage when kept
under cover. These worms were in
pieces of potatoes which were planted
in pots, showing that the flea beetle
was responsible for the rough skinned
| potatoes.
In the evening Professor Olin
showed the value of careful screening
and sorting grains for seed. He ad-
vised developing the varieties of
grains that we now have rather than
buy new and untried varieties. A
large increase in yield has been Sc
cured by planting the heavy plump
kernels of grain that have been sepa-
rated from the small kernals.
Professor Paddock showed by pic
lures on screen the damage done to
potatoes by fungus that appears
in black spots resembling dirt which
may be found on almost all our pota-
toes. 1t not only kills the young
sprouts but causes large vines with
out any potatoes, potatoes growing
on stems above ground, large num-
bers of small potatoes growing out of
regular place on tuber stems, blight,
etc. Treatment of seed potatoes
seems to do no good as all the soil
Is diseased. The only means of fight
ing it is by making long rotation
of crops as it does not live on grain
and not so we'll on alfalfa as it does
on potatoes.
Many other valuable points were
given and before adjourning the pro-
fessors were given vote of thanks
for their instruction.
Next Saturday evening at eight
O'Clock Professor Buffum of the
| Wyoming Station will lecture at the
Pleasant Valley school house on
Grains and Grasses - 1t is hoped
that he will have large audience as
he comes from Wyoming at his own
expense to give the lecture. Profess
sor Buffum was once a scholar in
the Greeley schools. He graduated
from the Colorado Agricultural COL
lege, where he also taught before 60
ing to Wyoming.