Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-01-19
Secretary Thomson's Report Of the
Farmers Institute.

Farmers Institute.
The institute was opened Tuesday
afternoon, Feb. 8, by four selected
pieces, played by George Kellogg's
graphaphone. Invocation by Rev.
Eakin was followed by a recitation,
"When Pa Joined the LODGE by
Johnnie Barrett.
clarifying from the Buttermaker's
Standpoint" was discussed by Mr..
Percy, representative of the Bickel
Produce Co. OF McGregor. Mr.. Percy
advocated paying for cream according
to its merit, the same as grain is sold.
1t may have high test, but still be in
ferior in quality. The fault is not al
together with the creamery, in turning
out two or three grades of butter, as
the cream in some cases is not first class
when it reaches them. Poor cream can
be sterilized to kill germs and odors,
but still will make an inferior quality
of butter.
Our state dairy commissioner Wright
stated that Iowa in 1905 produced more
butter than in any previous year, pro-
ducing over 500, 00O,O 900 worth of butter.
Mr.. Wright is a strong believer in the
dual purpose COW for the Iowa farmer,
although he advocates the dairy breeds
for those who wish to copfine them
selves to exclusive dairying.
| One fault he finds with the Iowa
farmer is that a large per cent of the
COWS come in in the spring, milking
only three or four months till the time
of flies and poor pastures, consequently
shortening the milking period to four
or five months.
Following this was a humorous reci-
tation by Willie Barrett.
Soil Fertility and Drainage" was
ably discussed by Prof. E. e. Faville of
| Des Moines He described the four
teen elements of the soil and by the use
of charts showed which elements were
used in the production OF the different
|grains and grasses. Plants receive q
part of their nourishment through the
little holes on the under side of the
leaves, but the remainder must come
| from the soil, and the better the soil is
provided with the elements needful to
the growth of this plant, the more
thrifty the plant. We cannot expect
to reap bountiful harvest year after
year without renewing the fertility Of
the soil.
| Prof. Faville explained the benefits
of tile drainage, showing how soggy
sour land may be transformed into fer.
tile, productive soil.
4 The program of the evening was
opened in very acceptable manner
with music by Kakac's orchestra.
| A song by Mayor Thomson was great
| ly enjoyed and called forth hearty en-
lcore.
4; Following this was an excellent pa
lper read by Mrs. W. A. Smith, show
| ing the great Improvement in the pas,
twenty years in labor saving machinery
| on the farm, both indoors and out.
i Mrs. Anthony Marshall IS paper" Wo
man as a Farmer" was greatly appre
ciated by the audience. Mrs. Marshal
| told how the farmers wife could max,
La financial success of her part OF tn,
, work.
II Next was an interesting and instruct
, i've paper on "Plants and Microbes
read by Miss Sara Brown.
A recitation by Elsie Butler, wa
followed by an address by Prof. Fa
vile, "What is Man WORTH" whicl
was full of facts and humor, and he'll
the close attention of the audience t
= the end.
\ The Wednesday morning session wa
open by G. A. L. Loomis's discussion
of "The Draft Horse" He maintaine
that the horse is the most abused of al
animals. He stated that people ar
very negligent in the selection of sires
and in the care of colts for the frs
three or four days.
Following this was a paper by Roll
Doolittle on "Corn Cultivation" whic
was very instructive and if we woul
/, lpursue his course of cultivation
s Howard county's corn crop would be 9
least one fourth greater.
al Prot. Faville's address on "Corn
: was met with such great interest ths
y he was asked to speak the followin
D morning on the same subject. He al
vocates testing seed corn in DO
: forty inches square rather than in
forty acre field. He says a good wa
to test corn is to have box four fee
square, fill in four inches of moist sa,
dust, cover with cloth marked off i
4 two inch squares, each of which ar
numbered. Having placed your see
ears in row, or number of rows, pic
six kernels from ear number one
and place in square No. l, 81
rom ear number two, etc. After hay
ling six kernels selected from each cal
J place a cloth over land cover wit
moist dirt, if in five or. six days an
kernels in the different squares hav
not terminated, discard the ear tn
Ilsauare represents.
Il A perfect seed ear should be cylir
J, drical IN shape, being about the sam
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