The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-03-14
GARRETT COUNTY FARM
ERS' INSTITUTE MEETINGS
Interesting Sessions Held In Three
Towns OF the County.

The institute meetings held in our
county, during the past week, are re-
ported as having been largely attended,
and to have awakened more interest
than any heretofore held. There were
large tunouts at both Grantsville and
Accident. The attendance at Accident
exceeGi"g that of any single meeting in
| the Sac this far, notwithstanding the
| unfavorable weather. The Oakland
meetings were held in the opera house,
and all the sessions were well attended.
Mr. VIM. L. Amos, we regret to say,
was unable to be present in our county
on account of sickness.
A new feature was the introduction
of the corn judging contest, through
which the boy bringing the best ten ears
of corn, selected by himself, received
certificate emitting him to two weeks
free tuition at the Maryland Agricultural
College This contest was won by
Peter +. Gortner, son of Mr.. Fred.
Gortner, of Sunnyside.
Mr.. Campbell spoke upon the cultive-
ton Of the potato, giving some valuable
suggestions. He also treated the poul-
try question. From his experience he
advocated the small movable poultry
house, say 6x8 feet, upon a skid or
runner, these houses to be Of rough
boards, and made air tight except in
| front by covering them with paper and
a coat of tar. The front to be enclosed
by wire, and window covered with
Gotten, hinged at the top to be used
only when necessary to protect the birds
from rain or snow. From careful ex-
periments carried on for year, by the
| Cornell Experiment Station, he showed
that it had been found that pure bred
hens of laying strains, would far excel
the barn yard fowl. He also proved
from tables made as the result Of the
| above experiments, that we'll balanc-
| ed ration of protine and carbonate, was
an essential for the successful produc-
! ton of eggs.
| Mr.. Watts gave a very instructive
lectureupon, The Soil as a Reservoir, "
showing how important water is as
conveyor of plant food, for the soil may
| be full of phoshates and mineral salts,
! but if there is not sufficient moisture in
the soil to dissolve them, and convey
| them to the roots of the plants, their
usefulness is lost To hold the necces-
| sary moisture our fields must be
thoroughly cultivated, and the soil made
fine and porous" so that as a sponge
| 1T may absorb and retain moisture.
| AS moisture is lost to the soil by CAPT.
larry attraction, it is necessary to
cultivate frequently, especially in dry
weather, so as to break up this action,
and prevent evaporation. Mr.. Watts
| also urged all farmers to look out for
their farm equipment, illustrating the
advantages to be derived from up-to-
date machinery, good teams, and thor
ough system. The saving of all manure,
both solid and liquid, and the daily or
frequent removal of into the fields, was
shown to be the best economy.
Senator w. McCulloh Brown spoke
upon THE Apple Interest in Garrett. "
He first showed the profit which might
be expected from good fruit during the
winter and spring months, having with
him samples of apples bought in the
Baltimore market, which ranged in
price from 260 to 81 for the highest
quality. These same were being in no
way superior to many of those exhibited
from Garrett county at the late exhibit
IN Baltimore, where the fact of our
carrying off so many prizes, proved
their quality without peradventure.
Mr.. Brown said that the reason that our
farmers bad not awakened to the great
possibilities in apple culture, was that
we all have orchards, and that in them
there are so many different kinds, that
we are not able to create market cut
side the county owing to our small ship
ments. Again a large portion of our
apples are of the summer and early
varieties, when not finding a market for
these, the farmer is discouraged and
does not see the profit that could be
made if he would turn to winter fruit,
and then seek a different market.
Garrett county is an ideal locality for
apples. What is needed is that we raise
MORE APPLES of a KIND, and
THAT THESE BE ALL WINTER and
LATE KEEPING VARIETIES. In
future plant only these. To hasten the
desired result, GRAFT THE GREATER
PART OF ALL YOUR SUMMER
APPLE TREES at once WITH
WINTER FRUIT. When you can ship
a car load of apples about 500 bushels)
of kind, and this quantity should be
raised upon one acre of good trees; then
you will reap the profit which should be