The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-01-26
FARMERS ORGANIZATION PERFECTED
First Meeting is Largely Attended and Institute
will be Made Weekly Event.
Officers are Elected

A progressive step towards the
making of a better Kennewick and
a more prosperous valley was made
last Saturday afternoon when fifty
of our farmers gathered in the Com
mercial Club hall and by enthusias-
tic and unanimous vote established
a permanent organization to be
known as the Kennewick Farmers
Institute. This is the first time in
the history of this part of the val
ley that the farmers have been uni
ted in an organized effort for their
own betterment and the study of
approved agricultural methods and
it is expected that their neighborly
cooperation in the exchange of
their various ideas will be produc-
tive of much good. As has been
previously stated these meetings
will be held each Saturday after
noon in the hall which the Com
mercial Club has so kindly offered
the farmers, rent free, in order to
establish cooperation between the
city and the country and so bene-
fit both these important units in the
prosperity of the valley at large.
The hour agreed upon is 2 o'clock
and promptness is urged.
At the close of Saturdays meet
ing at which Rev. F. L. Fraser pre-
sided as chairman, an organization
was rapidly effected and the follow
ing officers elected: F. L. Fraser,
president; VIM. Engells, vice-pres-
ident and L. S. Grassland, secre-
tary. A program committee was
app ointed by the chair and H. M +.
Bartlett will be chairman of this
committee. His assistants are the
members of the executive board and
VIM. Engles, A. C. Hart and Mr..
Carr. The committee will meet at
1:3O Saturday afternoon to prepare
program for the coming weeks
meetings.
Weekly meetings will continue
until the rush of spring work makes
it difficult for the farmers to at
tend sessions occurring this frequent
ly and at that time the schedule
will be changed to monthly or semi
monthly meetings. Subjects of
special interests to the farmers at
this season will be discussed and
every farmer in the valley is urged
to attend for recitation of the prac-
tical ex xperiences of these men who
have wrought wonders in the desert
soil with the irrigation hoe is worth
more than a course in a school of
agriculture. Make the most of the
opportunity.
Next Saturday. John Storland
will lead a discussion on pruning
and D. J. Beinhart will tell of his
experiences with the smudge pot.
Open discussion of these topics will
be mest helpful feature of the
meeting.
In discussing the Use of Fertil-
izers" H. NJ. Bartlett gave many
good suggestions, pointing out first
that the sandy and gravely soil
most common to this section acted
like sieve and the vital elements,
nitrogens potash, and phosphoric
acid were rapidly drained out leav-
Jog the ground impoverished for
the successful growth of crops. The
lands in the Middle West, which at
one time produced 25 or 80 bushels
M wheat to the acre now average
much less and the speaker noted
that the farming lands OF the Uni
ted States were producing much
less to the acre than those of Eng
land and Germany which have been
farmed for much longer period
This is due to the fact that these
foreign countries have practiced
fertilization whereas comparatively
little attention has been given to
that branch of agriculture here.
There are three available fertilizers
for use commercial fertilizers. cattle