The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-02-18
Farmers Institute.


we think it best to finish the re-
port by topics, rather than by
sessions, since it helps US to keep
a better connection of thought,
because the same topics were dis.
cussed at different sessions.
Wednesday being a busy day
in this office, we did not have a
reporter at the sessions. Messrs
Whitman and Fassett did not
arrive in time to take their turns
during the daylight sessions, and
the ladies' of the town and vicin-
ity improved the opportunity to
prolong the discussion of home
making topics.
Mr.. Fassett's talk on straw
berry culture applied particularly
to raising the berries on a COM
mercial scale; but whether the
strawberry grounds be large or
small, the soil must be kept well
filled with vegetable matter in
order to conserve moisture which
is needed by strawberries in per-
hsps larger quantities than plants
that do not produce so much wa
tery fruit. Right here we can
sum up a lot that was said about
the cultivation of soils for any
crop, and that is, that soils must
be kept filled with humus if we
wish best results from our labors
to grow fruits, grains, or vege-
tables. Just as we have been
explaining for several weeks in
our articles on Fulton county
soils, it will pay any farmer to
sacrifice crops for a period in or
der to grow and plough down
sufficient two-foot rye, a crop of
clover, peas, soybeans, manure,
sweet clover-or anything that
will completely fill the soil with
water.holding humus. The farm
er's work in the conservation OF
moisture does not end there. He
must keep the winter-sto d
moisture 'corked" by means of
a fine, two or three inch mulch
of dry earth. DR.. Fassett does
not believe in the purchase of
much costly nitrate of soda-our
chief carrier of nitrogen. He
gets an abundance of this neces-
sary article by ploughing down
at the end of every crop rotation,
a heavy growth of some legume.
Mr.. Fassett's favorite legume is
hairy or winter vetch, which is a
winter annual. In his orchards
he ploughs down a heavy crop Of
either vetch or soybeans annu-
ally. Mr.. Fassett is a true type
of country gentlemen, of pleas
ing address, a fluent speaker, is
engaged in farming his own land
and he impressed his audiences
with the sincerity of his views,
so that nc doubt was left in the
minds of his hearers as to the
value of the advice given.
Mr.. Whitman, no less a schol.
ar and gentleman, was so chuck
full Of chicken that he could
scarcely restrain from Growing.
His illustrated lectures were full
of one thought, namely, alright
poultry houses, excepting tn
fronts, which afford an idea
place for hens to amuse themsel-
yes all day long by scratching in
a foot of dry, clean litter for ev-
cry grain of food. He drove
home his arguments by the use
Of many humorous illustrations.
For instance; A hen, like her hu-
man relatives, must be kept bu.
sy; and since she cannot read,
attend ladies aid societies, go tc
lectures, knit, or run to town,
there is but one thing she ever
learns to do; and that is, to eat.
If she is stuffed full of food in
the morning she has no ambition
to hunt for more, and in this
manner, she was robbed, by ar
overland master, Of ambition tc
lay eggs, or to fulfill any of the
hopes of her owner.
Passing rapidly over a lot Of
good things that space forbids
repeating, we much compliment
the speakers from our town and