Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-02-28
FARMERS INSTITUTE
Sec Annual Meeting Success
Despite Bad Weather.

The second annual Addison County
Farmers institute under the auspices
of the Bureau of Animal Industry,
United States Department of Agricul-
ture; the Addison County Agricultural
society; the State Agricultural college,
and Middebury college opened in the
town hall Friday, February q, at 80
o'clock. The government was repre-
sented by five experts from the agricul
tural department whose addresses were
very instructive and interesting. The
farmers of Addison county showed their
appreciation of the efforts of the differ
ent institutions to make this a practical
school for farmers by large attend
ance.
The first speaker was Marshall Baxter
Cummings, professor of horticulture in
the State Agriculture college at Bur-
lington. The general topic for the
afternoon was Concerning Farm Man
agement" and Professor Cummings
subtitle was with Reference to Or
chard Practice The speaker con-
sidered his subject from various stand
points, speaking of pruning, spraying,
soil management and fertilizers.
Professor Cummings was followed by
Dean Joseph Lawrence Hills of the
State Agricultural college, whose sub
topic was with Reference to Soil
Handling"
Dean Hills gave a popular scientific
address and covered his subject in
most thorough and interesting manner.
Prof. Andrew Allen Borland of the
State Agricultural college gave the
closing address, his sub-topic being
with Reference to the Dairy and
Feeding" The professor considered
his subject from all essential points of
view considering feed, the proper and
best kinds and the proper quantity.
Father" Taylor of Burlington was
introduced and talked for half an hour
on the advantage that would accrue to
Addison county if any expert farmer
were employed in the county, as done
with great profit in many counties in
the West.
In the evening at 1880 o'clock large
audience was present and listened with
much interest to an address by George
M. Rommel, chief of the bureau of
animal industry, who spoke on "Agri-
culture as Profession and as a Bust
ness" DR.. C. F. Langworthy, in
charge of nutrition Investigations, U.
S. Department of Agriculture, and an
alumnus of Mddlebury college and ma
tive of this village, gave very instruc
tive address on The Work of the
United States Department of Agricul
ture for Housekee which was
illustrated with stereopticon pictures.
DR.. Langworthy has been connected
with the department since 1895 and has
written many interesting articles of his
investigations along these lines. DIR.
John NJ. Thomas, president of Middle
bury college, presided and introduced
the speakers.
The second days session of the Addi-
son county farmers institute was held
yesterday at the United States Morgan
horse farm in Weybridge. In spite
of unfavorable weather conditions the
attendance was considerably more than
300. The audience was made up
largely of the neighboring farmers
and their families with a sprinkling
of students from Middlebury college
and delegation from the university.
The significant thing about these
gatherings is that they constitute a
direct cooperation between the federal
government and the farmers of the
community. A remarkable charac-
teristc of these gatherings thus far
has been the unparalleled attendance
and interest they have called forth.
The presiding genius of the gather
ing was President John M. Thomas of
Middebury College, while the person
on whom seemed to devolve the active
supervision of the work of explanation
and demonstration was George M.
Romme, chief of the animal husbandry
division of the United States depart
ment of agriculture, under whose
direct supervision the government
Morgan farm is carried on.
1t may have been fortunate that the
wet, sleety day and conditions unfavor-
able for sleighing kept many away, for
those who did come filled to overlooking
the great barn which served as an audi
ence room. There all day long the
farmers listened eagerly to lectures by
some of the foremost experts in the
country. And in every instance COM
peting with the voice of the speaker
was the neighing of stations, the lowing
of cattle, the bleating of sheep or the
growing of cocks.
The animals were brought into the