Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-16
Farmers Hold Informal
Discussion of Methods
to Better Institute
CHOOSE COMMITTEE
TO FOUND ORANGES
Soil and Dairy Experts Tell
of Experiences That They
Have Found Practical

The appointment Of a grange COM
mittee and general informal discus
sion of the subject. How to make the
institute bigger and BETTER featured
the morning session of the final day
OF the institute at the armory.
Frank Whitcomb, V. L. Wilson, l..
A. Dyson, J. Lowenberg. e. D. Davis,
Fletcher Copes and w. 2. Dexter gave
short informal talks on the topic OF
the session, the betterment OF the IN
stitute. After the discussions COM
mittee was appointed to arrange TOT
the establishment Of oranges and 9th
er farmers organizations throughout
the county. Frank Whitcomb was
chosen as the chairman and one man
was named from each of the fourteen
townships.
Miss Ethel Phelps has been giving
some excellent domestic science dem
orstrations during the institute This
morning she discussed the making of
bread and cakes with the women. Fri
day afternoon she told of some OF the
relative initiative values Of the differ
ent breakfast foods and cereals and
demonstrated the methods OF prepar-
ing them.
The pupils Of the various rural
schools of the county are the center
of attract this afternoon at the insti-
tute. A program Of several interesting
numbers is being given bv them this
afternoon beoinning at 100.
a. Instructive Talks Given.
The afternoon session Friday was
opened with q riano solo by Max Bot
orff. He was followed bv addresses
given by f. S. Estel and Dr. w. 2.
TAILOR.
Mr.. Estel who is state dairy expert
tailed on, clarifying and its practical
relation TO southern Iowa farmers"
He outl ned in clear and easily COM
pretended manner the Importance of
good dairyine to the farmer and the
farm life of today. He explained how
dairying should be managed to be
handled properly. He emphasized the
great Importance of careful feeding
and advised only the most practical
methods to bring about the best re-
suits He brought in the use of the
modern silo and it's important connec.
ton with efficient handling of the food
for the cattle. The'use Of cotton seed
oil was strongly advised as by relative
tables it was shown that the cotton
seed oil contained from to per cent
more nutritive food and food proper
ties than the oil meal. An effort should
be made in dairyjng to have the cattle
meet the requirements for good dairy
cattle more than theIrequirementsf for
simrly good grazing or beef cattle. The
efficient and systematic care Of barns
YVES strongly urged by the speaker. He
said that all the ventilation possible
should be given and the air should be
allowed to enter from both above and
below.
Taylor on Soils.
Dr.<W. F.. Taylor who is a soil expert
for the John Deere company gave a
very instructive address on the care
CT the soil and the different use the
soil can be given.
He said in part. "The thing the
plants want more than anything else
is air and light. A plant wants home
tho same as person and it must be
roomy and airy and there must be
plenty of water and plenty Of plant
food The ground is a mass of living
organisms and they must be given cul-
tivat;on and work to do or else the
ground will become useless and dead.
The ground holds the nitrogen from
the air and there is. it is estimated.
one-half grain of nitrogen in the form
Of nitrate Of ammonia in every gal
lon of water that falls from the sky
as rain.
1.-The plant roots must be given
room for they always take the line Of
least resistance The roots take the
natural course of downward and at the
bottom of the furrow they spread out
Then at dry time they must have a
deep seed bed to give them the
strength and the stability to resist the
destroyers at work on them.
"In the discussion of the matter Of
plant food much is said about the pur-
chase of the various products. DO not
buy them: they are all in the soil if
only given proper chance to show
themselves. It is an esta blished fact
that by the rotation of crops farmer
receives five, six and seven times the
benefit. The soil has it's weaknesses
the same as a person has his weak
nesses. If man throws his entire
energy all of his life into one line then
he is unable to accomplish the least
thing in any other work. So if the soil
ia given the work Of nourishing an In
dividual kind Of plant, 1t in time weak
ems, waivers and is broken and is call
ed useless There Is too much con-
centration and in order to bring up
from the deep subsoil the great plant
food that was placed there by the
Creator, there must be a rotation Of
crops.
open the doors and windows of the
soil and let in the oxygen which will
make available the nitrogen already in
the ground. Thg land can not create
these chemicals itself, man must do
his part II he would expect results to
follow. There is plenty Of potash in
the ground If only the proper steps are
taken to. allow fermentation which in
turn will create this we'll known ferti-
lizer.
Use the disc and break up the
Jumps In the ground, grind them up
into the finest powder. The tendrils