Webster City freeman., 1913-03-04
WAS A RED LET
Ter DAY AT HOMER
Farmers Hold Meeting Speaker
From Ames Others Take
Part on the Program.

Wednesday. Feb. 26, was rec
letter day at Homer. for on that day
was held the first annual meeting OF
the Homer Farmers Institute.
The morning session was opened
with prayer by Rev Albertson, who
also made a short address, pointing
out the need for such meetings.
Prof. E. L. Stuart of Ames gave a
most profitable lecture on Corn and
Corn culture This occupied the
time till noon. The w. C. T. U. serv-
ed dinner in the /. O. O. F. hall, and
such dinner! The only fault one
could find was that such quantity.
variety and quality was a big temp
tation to overeating. Such fine cooks
would certainly appreciate good
domestic science lecture.
At the afternoon session Prof.
Stuart tied the ribbons on very
creditable showing of corn and gave
his reasons for placing.
Emory Gordon followed with a
talk upon progressive farming,
showing that the old farmers who de-
pended upon the signs and the al
manac must give place to the man
who accepts the help of the college,
the experiment station, and the ag-
ricultural press. He paid high trib-
ute to Joe Wing, Henry Wallace,
Charles Curtis and "Tama jim" Will
son Mr.. Gordon's address was a
fine example of what self-help and a
taste for good books will do for the
farmer as citizen and a public
speaker.
Mr.. E. C. Naylor spoke upon
sheep husbandry. He announced
himself as comparatively new to the
business but we'll pleased at his ex-
perience. Some have considered
sheep as troublesome but with good
fences, which are needed FOR all
stock, the sheep cause comparatively
little work except the attention
needed at the arrival of lambs In the
spring. Sheep must be sheltered
from the wet but cold has little ter
ror for them. Mr.. Naylor laid spec
ial emphasis on the need of liberal
and careful feeding. No animal on
the farm is profitable except as 1t is
growing into something. Lambs
should come from February to May,
April being the best month. Their
mother should be we'll prepared for
this season by good feeding, and the
lamb creep should be used when the
lambs are three to four weeks old.
Sheep will do better job Of clean
ing up fence rows at nothing per
day than will a hired man at 81.
Mr.. Hawbaker gave his experience
with silo and silage. He has found
the silo all that its friends claim for
it. being very valuable for the beef
producer. Mr.. Hawbaker built his
to supply a drove of three carloads
of cattle. The speaker used clay
blocks as the material for his silo
and is well pleased with 1t. but
would recommend that the diameter
he reduced to perhaps 16 feet and
the height increased to 40 or so
feet. Mr.. Hawbaker looks upon the
present prices of feeders as excessive
but feels safer about the outcome
than he would If compelled to use
more expensive feeds. The machine
should be fitted with distributor and
two or three men should be kept In
the silo at filing time. On the
whole. the silo Is one Of the great
est helps to first-class farming.
H. l.. Doty took for his subject
the grange and showed what the
grange is. what i. has accomplished,
and what 1t promises to an up-to-
date farming community. A lively
interest was shown and the result
will probably be the. organization of
a grange at Homer.
The main address was by Prof.
Stuart, who showed a soil map of
Iowa with the state divided accord
ing to the nature of the soil, this DIFF
ference being due primarily to its
origin or to the manner in which 1t
was formed. He mentioned the run
down and abandoned farms OF the
east and showed the relation of good
methods to the needs of men on high
priced land. A permanent system
must be found. The purchase OF the
elements of fertility will not suffice,
as nothing win take the place Of
the fertilizer resulting from live
stock farming. The legumes, alfal-
ia. clover, cowpeas. etc. are indis-