The Paducah sun., 1906-03-14
Over 100 Farmers Attend the
Second Meeting Here.
Fine Address on Scientific Farming
by w. II. Scherfiius, of state
Agricultural Department.
MANY NEW MEMBERS ADDED

The meeting of the Farmers In
stitute today was a very largely at
tended and enthusiastic one, so large
IN fact, despite the weather. that it
had to adjourn from the Commercial
club to the council chambers in the
city hall.
President Clip Husbands presided.
Mr.. Hubert Vreeland, commissioner
of agriculture, sent Mr.. w. II. Scherf-
fus, of the state agricultural depart
ment, to address the meeting in his
stead, and the address proved very
Interesting. Mr.. Scherffius took up
most of his address in giving some
interesting data about the work his
department has done in connection
with corn, showing the average yield
of the different localities, and the re-
suits of experiments to find the best
corn suited for planting.
THE average yield of corn ia
Kentucky is only 25 bushels to the
acre" he said, (which is insignifi-
cant. We should. and can increase
this by proper selection of seed and
proper cultivation"
He then illustrated how the de-
partment selected its ses>: eve take
a terminating box, such as / have
here, about two and one half feet by
two and one half feet and put in our
moist soil, which is checked off in
checker board fashion. We then Sc
leot the best looking grains of corn
from a number of ears, and put them
in the different checks or road, num-
herring the checks and also the corn
20 we can keep track of them. The
seeds are then covered with a sack
and another layer put on top, and
50 on. In about four days the seeds
have sprouted and we investigate
them TO find which has shown the
most progress, and i'm this manner
easily select the best seeds. 1t takes
only few hours to thus select your
seed for 25 acres of land, and you
will find ii the best time you ever
invested. This work can easily be
done by your children, and should
be. as early in life VI instills into
them a desire to be better farmers
or agriculturists, as 1t shows them
The possibilities of a little brain work
in connection with farming, and Will
make them more content to stay on
The farm, and banish the usual year
ming for city life and clerking be-
hind the counters"
Mr.. Scherffius also gave other very
interesting illustrations of the bene-
fits of scientific thought brought to
bear on farming. and answered
number of questions asked by his
auditors.
There were at least one hundred
farmers at the meeting and at the
ClOSt Ol MI. mus lShieii hof ht"i
ly all of them enrolled their names
as members of the organization.
Mr.. f. K Bonds read some inter-
esting letters from Cincinnati and
st. Louis about Paducah as center
of truck farming, and complimenting
the products they hate handled here
tofore from this section, very highly.
The association, through its ex-
ecutive committee, will interview all
the members of the association to
ascertain what crops they would pre-
fer to raise and select the men 10
raise the different crops, and instruct
them how many acres to put in.
Canteloupes, beans, cucumbers, straw
berries and cabbage will be the crops
raised this season.
The meeting adjourned at noon
until 1880 this afternoon at which
hours Mr.. James A. Shaw of Bloom
ington. H., who is here to interest
Paducah in a proposed Chautauqua,
addressed the meeting.