Willmar tribune., 1907-03-06

$ A monumental success in every way
that would sum up the general opinion
of the Farmers Institute held here
last Saturday. Both in point of at
tendance and interest displayed it was
record breaker, and the work of the
Instructors was of the best type-con-
else and practical in every detail
Z When the conductor, Forest Henry,
called the meeting to order at ten
O'Clock in the forenoon the courthouse
hall was we'll filed, and before the
forenoon session was half over every
available seat both outside and inside
the railing was taken The same is
true of the afternoon session, and all
stayed until its close. Each instructor
had short periods assigned for diff
ferent phases of his subject, thus Civ
ing variety to the program and pre-
venting it from getting tiresome at any
time. For convenience we will take
each instructors work by itself as a
whole, and give short resume there
of.
Forest Henry,spoke of crop rotation,
with special reference to the value of
clover in the rotation scheme. He
showed that the principal plant foods
1or;vod frO,,, tho coil q re, r;+rooox, MT
ash and phosphoric acid-nitrogen
forming the bulk of the plant, potash
giving it stiffness and strength, and
phosphoric acid helping to fill out the
kernels of the seed. The two latter ele-
ments are found in such abundance in
our soils that all that is needed is to
put them where they are available to
the plant, bringing them up from the
sub-soil, and this the clover does by
reason of its roots striking so deep.
Nitrogen, forming such q large part
of the plant, is soon exhausted in the
soil and must be replaced. CONNER
cial nitrogen is too costly to be used
for this purpose, but nature has fur
nished an inexhapstible supply in the
air, which is four-hfths nitrogen. The
roots of the clover plant are covered
with little nodules containing Q vege-.
table bacteria which absorbst this free
nitrogen and makes it available for
plant food. One crop OF clover adds
enough nitrogen to the ground for
three succeeding crops of nitrogen
using plants. Furthermore, it is the
best kind of hay for mich cows, and
is very good for horses if fed properly.
It should be cut early, otherwise the
stalks will turn to woody fibre and the
leaves will break off and be lost on the
field. The Medium Red or June clover
is the best for these purposes. 1t is
a two year plant, dying out the second
winter, and is therefore admirably
adapted for crop rotation. Alfalfa is
a perennial plant, suitable for raising
!. for hay crop, but not for fertilizing
the soil. Alsike belongs to the same
class, and is adapted for low, moist
lands, where crop rotation is not prac-
ticable. Mr.. Henry also gave very
interesting talk on hog raising, based
on his own experience in the business.
Hessaid that the most Important thing
was to get strong, healthy pigs by
breeding from mature animals only.
The next point was the feeding. Corn
should be used only for. fattening for
the market. During the growing per.
z3iod clover pasture with mill feed pro.
tduce the best results. During the fat.
tening period pumpkins form a yalu.
able part Of the diet, keeping the an.
imals in healthy condition. -
L. A. Sweet spoke about dairying
He advocated breeding up to the dairy
type rather than trying to get q genera
purpose animal, The production o.
butter can be doubled by getting COWS
of the pure dairy type. He very strong,
.sly recommended silage as feed fol
] dairy COWS, saying that it was far bet
ter for cows than dry hay and the same
4 amount Of land would support twic.
!. as many COWS if used to produce sill
age as if it were used for producing
y hay.9e also spoke about how K
.Af6ts Ives. His system was as fol
So s NE calf stay with its mothel
I. y y - =; for the next two week
s 1I1117i it's OF fresh milk from th'
each meal; then for th'
T skS the ration should b
I1|7 d fresh milk and one quar-
SSs 3 skim milk, mixed with . smal
VI alton Of oil meal, gradually increas
ing the amount of Oil meal and 5re
dulccing The amount 81 fresh milk nnti
the end 81 the fourth week, when skin
milk would entirel replace the Who'll
milk. The alves she, i'd be- kept In,
tanchion while feeding and after "a
second week small ration of soat
should be fed after the milk. + ga
calf shows sympt Of lisease IS
crease the allowance of food till "a
syrnpto toms disap y, 's8ss5S'
Brackett spo IKE; on planting shad
81 trees aud fruit trees & and plants.
Il1 IIs sItrongl urged the 81 alue of seyergr green
81 - Wind dbreaks around the farm bnild
n inas. s. they Sretai II their durin
tlSe = III ter hon Win reaks are f mos
y T4. f,sn6n,a1(l stlla All