The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-22
The Annual Farmers lnsti.
tute Conducted By the
State Being the Event
TYPICAL INSTITUTE

And How They Are Conducted, Exem-
nlilied at This Meeting and Depicted
interestingly by the Writer-The'
Country women Were as strictly
In 1t" as the Men and the Fine Al
dresses Surpassed Many Heard by
CITY Folks in the Finest of Opera
Houses-State Test Farm Ideal
Place.
Especial to News and Observer.)
Statesvjlle, Aug 19.-The IredeH|
Test Farm two miles west Of States
Vile, was the scene yesterday Of an
other great gathering Of farmers,
farmers wives, sons and daughters
and others. the event being the annual.
institute conducted by the State, and
an event tnat has for the past few
years attracted hundreds from all
parts Of this country and some from
adjoining counties. The State Farm is
an ideal place for such an event, con-
sidered from almost every standpoint,
and the institute people say that the
are always greeted by a larger crowd
here than at any other place in the
State. This year the facilities for TAX
Ing care of the crowd were better than
ever, a large open building with a.
seating capacity of 1000 having bee
built in a grove for the mems meet
lngS, while q canVaSS-cOVered auditOri-
I'M was erected as a meeting place for
the ladies. All the underbrush had
been cleared from the groves about
the place, giving plenty of !hitching;
room, and yesterday the whole face
OF the earth" in that vicinity was COW
cred with horses, vehicles and folks.
Mr.. f. 7. Meacham, the popular super
intendent of the farm, keeps the place
in an admirable conditions, everything
beng clean and attractive. and anOth-
er thing, he and Mrs. Meacham do
when Is always appreciated on these
occasions, is the spreading of an keel
lent dinner for the speakers, newspa-
per representatives n other special
guests.
The forenoon session Of the institute
for the men was called to order about
1870 o'clock by superintendent
Meac-am, of the farm, who welcomed
the audience and introduced Prof. c.
l. Newman. professor Of agriculture at
the A. and M. College at Raleigh, who
made an excellent address on soil i'm
provement. In the beginning Profess
sor Newman said that it was always a
pleasure to conduct the institute at
the Test Farm because there is always
a big crowd on hand and so much in
terest in modern methods Of farming
manifested. And the accomplishments
of many of the Irede1l farers during
the past few years is evidence that
their interest in learning how is not
without good results. The severe
drought which we are now passing
through, says Mr.. Newman. is teaching
US lessons which will be worth hou
sands of dollars in the future. 1t Is
showing in the most fOrceful nj
Just what deep blowing adm the ploW-
ing into the soil of plenty Of humus
matter means to the farmer The most
vital and the most important question
confronting the farmer and h one
thing on which all others depend is
SOIL Improvement. And plants which
may be grown on the soil are the best
material for fertilizing the soil when
properly used. Under the natural
conditions before our lands were
Cleared of the forests the plants gave
Dack TO the soil each year just as much
plant TODD as was taken out, and the
nlulSh which was formed on the sur
lace of the earth held the water and
IL IL I1CSo0d' ANo"s "ASAS
"uF Iand is left bare and is plOWed
.hr same depth, an average Of -four
,HCaeS, every year, no moisture is
neta out instead our farms are being
washed into the Atlantic and the
government is spending thousands
fearing the harbors of the best land
ION our farms. Water is the most
tSSentai soil food we have; no mat
yer what conditions prevail water
must be had. so prepare your farms
80 Us 10 conserve the rainfall until
II Is needed. The water must be con-
Colied SO that it will not run off and
ttbbMe your farms with it. The soil is
r|9 storage for plant food and the
,T1erVolr for water. The more ground
r|iNerlzed and the more vegetable
Ia"o'er turned under for humus the
'''ser he supply Of natural fertilizer