Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-07-22
BACK TO THE FARM"
The Slogan AT The Farmers
Picnic At La Plata
GOV. CROTHERS SPEAKS
Has An Escort OF Seventeen Ii rlS
Mounted

Yesterday was an ideal day for the
farmers picnic at La Plata, and the
agriculturists and their friends
turned out 1000 strong.
Governor Crothers was there and
made a telling speech. Eleven guns
saluted His Excellency, and the Gov
ernor was the biggest gun at the
big farmers picnic, or the farm
ers big picnic. BE that as it may"
the Governors escort is not to be
considered a small thing. 1t was
an important and large feature of
the occasion.
Seventeen beautiful young girls,
mounted. rode as escorts to the Gov
ernor. They were attired in white
with sashes of Maryland colors. and
made an attractive appearance. They
preceded the procession in the fol-
lowing order: Miss Mary Allison
Wilmer, Miss Amelia Wilmer. Miss
Margaret Jenkins, Miss Mary Re-
gina Posey, Miss Katherine Posey,
Miss Inez Posey, Miss Mamie Will
mer, Miss Lillian Maurice, Misses
Berry, Misses Jarboe, Miss Rohrback,
Miss Spencer, Miss Russell
Through the main streets marched
the procession and thence to a beau
tiful grove of oaks owned by Mr..
Adrian Posey, where the farmers
meeting was held. The procession
was cheered all along the line The
visitors. eyes fell upon flags and bunt-
ing in whatever direction they turn
ed. Every business building in the
town was decorated.
In the grove was a stand for the
speakers and band and distinguished
guests There were lunch stands.
There were also farmers and other
men and pretty girls. The stand
was decorated with bunting and green
things from ferns. There were also
farming implements. A plow share
served as gavel.
The town of La Plata awoke early
to prepare for the event At / a. m.
the special train arrived from Balti-
more. At the station gathered the
town and country people to extend
greetings. A cannon gave the Cover
nor the regulation salute. The red
coated band played Maryland, My
Maryland. The Governor and other
visitors were slowed away into car
riages.
The slogan of the day was Back to
the Farm" and farmers from all over
Maryland were instructed how to farm
intelligently so that the land will
yield larger returns and swell the
pocketbooks of the tiIlers of the soil.
Those who spoke, in addition to
the Governor, were: Mr. Adrian
Posey, who presided over the meet
ing: Gen. L. Allison Wilmer, who de-
livered the speech of welcome; Mr..
Franklin Menges, of York, Pa. Sena-
tor E. E. Goslin, of Caroline county
Md. Mr.. Charles B. Hoyt, road engi-
neer of the Department of Agricul
ture in Washington; Mr.. M. B.
Waite, fruit expert, Department of
Agriculture; Hon. A. Sandles, Secre-
tary of Agriculture, Ohio; Mr.. L. w.
Lightly, East Berlin, Pa; Mr.. w. f.
Massey, Salisbury, Wicomico county,
Nd. DR.. r. w. Sylvester, president
of the Maryland Agricultural College.
Other speakers had been invited
and some of them were present, but
the time was exhausted by other
speakers, and by most enjoyable
luncheon served by the ladies. The
keynote of all the speeches was a
plea that farmers use their minds
rather than their muscles in their
daily work, and that they elevate
their calling to the standard of the
learned professions.
The meeting was the first of SER
les to be held under the direction of
the Farmers Commission appointed
| by Governor Crothers. Two other
meetings will be held at Eas-
ton or Salisbury in September and
on at some central point in Western
Maryland at later date. The same
| general program will be followed at
these meetings as was followed at La
Plata yesterday. Then county and
similar meetings will be held.