Connecticut western news., 1912-03-28
FARMERS INSTITUTE
Lectures Success but Weather Spells
 Bargain Day"

bargain day" project was knocked into a cooked hat. A persistent snow storm set in, just after midnight, Wednesday dreary prospect. Three or four inches of snow had already fallen and the out look seemed fine for an lday storm, without a sign of let,up. It was plain, from the start, that the much.advertised bargain day would be failure, SO far as bringing people from outside into town was concerned. People living in the village didn't get out, unless urgent business called them. The trains brought 8 few outsiders from adjoining towns, principally farmers, who desired to hear the agricultural experts, and about twenty persons, including a half-dozen ladies, assembled in the Town Hall at 10:S0 to hear Prof. s. N. Spring, the state forester, who arrived on the 10:35 train from the east. It was decided, however. in view of the small audience, that Prof. Springs lecture be deferred and added to the afternoon program.
 The noon train brought Prof. O. D. Jarvis, of the Connecticut Agricultural College George V. Smith, of Willing ton, secretary of the Conn. Poultry Association and editor of the Connecti. cut Farmer, and Lsonard O. Healey, secretary of the advisory board of the state agricultural department, and shortly after o'clock the meeting in Town Hall was called to order by Rev. E. O. Gillette, chairman of the Business Mems committee. There were about thirty persons present at the start, but later corners increased the number to nearly seventy five, including several ladies. MT. Gillette evoked laugh by stating that he had given his address of welcome" at the forenoon session when there was nobody present. He disclaimed responsibility for the weather conditions, and expressed his regrets that they were not more favorable; ex. plained the purpose of the gathering, and of the bargain day feature, and said he wished there were more farmers in the local Business Mems Association. He then introduced Secretary Healey.
 Secretary HealeY started of by saying that he had responded to MT, Gillette's address of welcome in the forenoon. while travelling toward Canaan on the 0. N. E. He was disappointed in the weather. as he had felt sure, from the enthusiasm apparent in the Canaan end of the correspondence of negotiation, that this would be one of the best "in- stitutes" they had yet held. However, he said, it is not always the large audi. enoes that are the most interested, and 1t was apparent that the present audi ence made up for numbers, in quality.
 |. Prof. Spring, state forester, was then introduced, who displayed maps of Con- necticut indicating stations of the forest fire-f1ghting system, etc. The speaker gave an interesting account of the for. estry department and the work it Is accomplishing. with considerable valu able information concerning the forests of Connecticut and. the necessity of con serving the forest growths and provid- ing for their renewal. Formerly, he said, it was the custom of the farmers to cut off all the timber to utilize the land for farming, and it is only within the last decade that any effort has been made to utilize what timber we have to the best advantage and make provision for the future. In the last year there were 97s forest fires in the state. cover ing GA, ,99S acres. Of these, only IS per cent. were on tracts of 100 acres, and the average acreage of the other 87 per cent was IS acres. The railroads were responsible for 83 per cent. of the fires, 21 per cent. of the acreage burned over, 26 per cent. of the damage sustained. and IS per cent. of the fire fighting expense. It Is the intention of the forester to ask for public measures to require the rail. roads to take greater precautions against starting fires. Three lookout points have been established by the forestry department, at Norfolk, Avon and Union, all of which are systematically equipped and adequately manned for discovering and fighting forest fires. Most of the fires occur in April, May, October and November, and result largely from the oarelessness of smokers and hunters. regardless of the specific law making such carelessness 8 punish- able offense. The planting of trees was urgently advocated. and valuable sug- gestions given for such planting.
 In introducing Prof. Jarvis. who spoke on "Orcharding, MT. Gillette said the weather had prevented the contemplated demonstrations of tree spraying. etc, and deprived the audience of the pleasure of seeing the Professor climb tree. but he said Prof. Jarvis had an announce ment to make that would compensate for that disappointment at the present time