Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-01-19
TWOBlGDAYSFOR
FARMERS.

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what had already been done along tina
line and what he hopes to accomplisl
for the people of Michigan. He spok'
Of the proposed county road law bill
which he hoped would be made Law
providing the people said yes. Even il
his hurry he could not suppress his read
flow of wit and when he had finished h'
was applauded long and loud.
Mrs. Mary E. Straton, of Ashley. reat
"a petition to congress relative to thu
removal of the revenue tax from alcoho
for use in manufacturing and com
mercial purposes, lighting and heating
which was signed by large number Of
voters.
An adjournment was then taken until
the evening session at o'clock.
The program was opened with song
by the Ithaca Male Quartette and a
recitation by Charlotte Weller. G. H
Alvord spoke on "A Practical Educa-
ton and the Value" Mrs. @. M.
Partch, of Armada, spoke interestingly
of Beautiful Homes and How to Make
Them" This was followed with an
other song by the quartette and an
address by G. A. Tyler, SHOULD Farm
ers Organizer"
The Friday morning session opened
with good crowd. Mr.. Alvord was
first ON the program with Feeding and
Care of Farm Horses" He said that
from observation along streets, he didn't
believe he could tell the farmers in that
vicinity anything new on the subject.
He began by saying that more horses
are injured by over feeding of bulky
foods than by underfeeding. Days
when horses are not working, feed
| lighter food with laxative such as bran,
oil meal or roots. A horses condition is
indicated by his appearance and should
be doctored at once. Overripe timothy
hay and June grass is bad feed for
horses, while thimothy and clover hay
and even limited amount of corn stalks
is recommended. Horses should be
fed from Is to "a pounds of dry matter
per day and should get it regular, three
times a:day. Do not allow your horse
to stand in the coldl wind more than
five minutes.at time. Stop often but
make them short He also told of the
harness, stable equipment, etc., and con-
cluded by advising the production of
heavier horses.
Corn and its Selection" was next
treated upon by Mr.. G. A. Tyler. He
said corn was the most important crop
raised by farmers. 1t was a greater
value than all other cereals combined;
greater than the wheat and cotton crop
combined. $500, 900, 900: bushels were
raised in 1905 and the value in the raw
condition was 81 $50, 900, 900. When man.
ufactured it was worth two billion dol
lars. If it was all in one pile it would
be half mile in diameter and a third of
a mile high; loaded in1wagons they
would extend II times around the globe,
and in cars once around the globe and
$1,000 cars over. Corn has the greatest
number of uses and is grown over the
widest area. 4 Every one knows of the
corn belt''-Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa-but in Kansas, the banner wheat
state, the corn crop is worth two and
one-half times as much as the wheat.
Cotton is known as king in Texas. Yet
the corn crop is so great that it is the
ace; the yield of corn in New England
states, which we think of as barren
land, is 1874 bushels .per acre greater
than in the corn belt; Nevada has four
million bushels to sell. The crop is less
subject to manipulation than any other,
and but twice haveIattempts been made
to corner it and both have been terrible
failures. To grow corn the land must
be fertile, in good condition. and mois
ture must be conserved. The most
important factor is the seed; it should
be selected about. September first; cut
the stalks with the seed ears on, so that
all the good of them can be drawn into
the kernel BY careful breeding the
successful grower has reduced the pro-
portion of barren stalks. On one farm
the percentage has been lowered from
IL per cent in 1900 to 8 per cent in 1901,
z per cent in 1902, g in 1908, in 1904
and per cent in 1905. Every farmer
can do the same by careful selection of
seed and attention to the now well
known methods preparing the soil
and cultivation.
Joseph Foster, of Washington, led i'll
the discussion of this subject. Mr..
Foster took first and third prize on
yellow dent .cornf;at battle lcreek this
year, and is authority OH the subject
He has been experimenting i'll the pro-
dnction of corn for the past 20 years,
and in l904lhis crop was 100 bushels per
acre. This year he is about to try new
experiment by planting his crop in
check rows feet inches one way and
80 inches the other. Mr.. Foster selects