Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1906-01-31
special correspondence Of Every Evening

special CoTesnondence OF Every EVENING
Laurel, Jan. 3l.-The Farmers Insti-
tute convened in Laurel on Monday, Yves
ley Webb of Dover. presiding.
Charles A. Barker of Milford made an
instructive address on strawberry culture
as the most promising of the small fruit
family in this section.
Prof. c. l.. Penny of Delaware College
Experiment Station, gave interesting ae-
counts of experiments with crimson
clover, which he believed TO be one of the
best and most profitable feed crops. as
well as peculiarly adapted TO the conven-
fence of Delaware farmers.
Prof. Won Dresser of Cobblespring, n. Y,
held the interest of the institute for
more than an hour in an exhaustive dis
cussion of poultry growing, the best
breeds, their proper care and the certain
ty of financial success when properly
handled. The situation of Delaware with
reference to markets, its genial climate
and light soil all made il, he thought, the
ideal place for profitable poultry grow
ing, and he urged good breeds (he pre-
ferred the white Leghorn) be put on the
farm in place of the mongrel fowls now
raised, which consumed more and pro-
duced less.
The San Jose scale was discussed and
hopeful reports of the methods employed
for checking the pest were made. The
lime sulphur and salt mixture for spray
ing was most generally commended, and
while a few had secured good results
from oil emulsions, many found that IL
had injured the trees where used liber-
ally and considered it no more certain
and much less safe than the former mix.
tmc.
Prizes for corn were awarded to W. j.
West and j. II. West, whose respective
exhibits were so excellent that the COM
mittee could not decide between them
| The committee said the exhibits here
compared favorahly with any they had
seen and were much better than some.
At the evening session Mr.. Van Dresser
again occupied the attention of the as
sembly his subject being the dairy cow
lie deplored the fact that an animal S,
useful and profitable TO the farmel
should not be more general feature o.
the farm economy, and urged the wisdom
of raising more cattle and only higl
grade cattle, for he had proved by hi
own active experience that scrub cattl
were an absolute loss and that well bre'
COWS carefully attended were one of tn
best paying adiuncts of the farm
Prof. John ID. Brooks gave an interest
ing address on "1he Farm as a Home
He lauded the freedom and independents
which pastoral and agricultural pursuit
mstilled into men, the healthfulness ant
manly vigor that agriculture and opei
air employment made the farmers spe
cia heritage and found the sole draw
back TO the most ideal life the lack O
educational advantages that prevailed il
rural districts. With the aid of goo
schools, compulsory education and tn
improved mail facilities that the countr.
is fast receiving he hoped for a speed.
change which would stop the ceaseles
immigration of young men from tn
farm to the health and moral destroy
ing manufacturing centres whore the
are so often herded like cattle, lose thei
manliness and independence of spirit an
in so many cases become the mere auto
matte drudges of tyrannical bosses an
! foremen whose demands for servility de
, stroy the free Americanism which is tn
/ pride of our ruralists and the safeguar
Of American institutions.
The institute was we'll attended an
the farmers seem TO consider it a valr
able factor in their education in bette
methods Of farm management.