Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 132, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1909 — SECRETARY’S REPORT OF THE FARMERS’ INSTITUTE. [ARTICLE]

SECRETARY’S REPORT OF THE FARMERS’ INSTITUTE.

Recent Meeting Ably Reported by Secretary—Good Reading for Those Who Did Not Attend. Owing to 1 the severe weather only a small representation made up the forenoon session, so the regular program was abandoned and the forenoon given over to receiving the exhibits. In the afternoon both the morning and afternoon programs were carried out. R. L. Thompson, of Topeka, Ind., gave the talk on growing wheat for profit. This was a talk that every wheat grower and would be grower should have heard. He said he once raised wheat for the mighty dollar, but now combines pleasure with profit and his greatest ambition is to so cultivate his land that it will be richer every year and insure a larger crop. He prefers clover sod or other sod lands. Covers with a manure spreader during the early winter months. » After February Ist all manure is hauled on corn ground. In the spring he discs the sod and after corn planting the ground is plowed with a joniter plow, he then works the ground from time to time till September Ist, when he has a nice moist seed bed be it ever so dry. Under this system of cultivation he is able to raise 40 bushels of wheat per acre with a minimum yield of 23 bushels. He also sows wheat in corn, but the yield is much lower, running from 19 to 36 bushels per acre. He rotates his crops from time to time. His land is no better than Jasper county farm land only as the condition of soil is better from his labor. Winfred Pullins, of Barkley township, gave a concise talk on some essentials to plant life. He is a lover of nature study, well read and has given this subject much thought and study. He told how a plant lives, what it feeds upon and the condition best for its development.

Prof. Troop, of Purdue University, gave some pointers on insects that are Injurious to crops. Among other things Mr. Troop said that these insects destroyed enough every year to soon pay off the national debt. Some insects must be destroyed by mechanical means, others destroy each other. Injurious insects thrive best under poor cultivation and almost vanish under ideal cultivation. He recommended the protection of bir£s. Birds that were' useful insect destroyers. Dr. Kannal, of Rensselaer, spoke of tuberculosis in dairy cattle. Mr. Kannal quoted statistics to show the ravages of this dreadful disease and how it was transmitted from the milk and food supply of the animal to the human system. He quoted a general law passed giving till- 1914 to eradicate the infected stock. After this time it will be a misdemeanor to keep infected stock. Ihfected stock can not always be told by their appearanfce, but by the tuberculine test alone. Every cow in Jasper county should be tested for no one wants to destroy himself or neighbors by this loathsome disease. If ybu can not keep healthy cows, quit the business. Prof. Troop came in for a talk on orchard fruits, which talk was good within itself, but it was plaii/ to be seen that the audience was not so much interested in fruits as in dairying and wheat and corn growing. Thursday morning Mr. Thompson gave a talk on the dairy cow with general farming. He advocated a crossing between the Jersey and Shorthorn and gave as his reason better veal Calebs, large flow of milk and better beef when the cow is milked out and goes to the block. But the writer thinks that such a system would be subject to much criticism. Close adherence to one distinct dairy breed of cattle is really better than such a mixup of cattle that will produce mon-

grels. He feeds a little grain the year abound. Raises sweet corn and sorghum to feed when the pasture becomes snort, uses oil meal as a concentrate, advocated a certain hour for milking and the same cows milked by the same person the year round. Mrs. Oliver Kline gave _“Dust and Its Dangers.” She said she was much interested in the crops and the dairy, but considered health bf more importance. She pointed out that many of the disease germa lurks in the old rag carpet and come forth fresh at every sweeping, and thought that hard wood floors or linoleum or rugs that could be carried out and dusted as the most sanitary. She pointed out the sanitary condition of hospitals', how they were free from everything that would catch dust, condemned tapestry, thought home should be as sanitary as the hospital. In the afternoon Mr. Thompson brought hv> message of mental culture on the farm. He did not think that it would lower our standard of mental culture to be money makers. He thought it possible for us to be quite narrow in some things and yet be great factors in others. He said we neglected the ethical side of our nature too much and thereby choked out our social relations. He considered the highest ideal in mental culture the purpose of raising a /family. In this he took in much scope and pointed out

many advantages and many dangers In dur way. “The Daughter’s Share” was next discussed by Mrs. Kline. She thought the daughter should be taught what to be afraid of and what not to be afraid of, but should be done in such a way that it would not excite the curiosity in her nature to know the things for herself, that have been pointed out to her as dangerous. She said if the daughter was a good piano player and could not flop a pan cake there must be something wrong with ma. It w’as her opinion that a girl should be required to prepare at least one dish every day for the table. Should mend her own clothes and learn to be an independent factor. No girl should have everything she wanted and pointed out a queen’s daughter who was found playing with a rag doll because she said she had everything else she wanted, in other words the desire to acquire a certain thing is of more pleasure than if it comes to her unsought. Miss Lizzie Lane read a paper “Why We Have a Girls’ Club.” This paper was very closely allied with the previous talk of Mrs. Kline. She point out the social, ethical and educational advantage of girls’ clubs for broadening the girl’s mind,. Mrs. Wm. Day gave an excellent paper on what does it mean to be a good housekeeper,and home maker. No Jasper county farmers’ institute is ■ ever complete without a speech from Barney Comer. This time it was “Future Price of Farm Products.”

He spoke of the great advantages the farmers’ boys and girls enjoy now over the boys and girls of twenty-five years ago. We are now better taken care of in everyway. Better rigs to ride in, better roads to travel on, better houses to live in. Rural delivery at our doors with daily newspapers from the city with news from all the world. How different from years ago when corn sold at 15 cents per bushel and hogs at 3 cents per pound. The point ''was that the corn belt and the world is limited to the Argentine Republic and a few states in the United States, and a committee was once sent to Europe to teach the people how to cook and eat corn bread, corn pone, corn cakes and corn mush, and now all Europe eats corn and our people eat corn and our population is increasing at the rate of 1,000,000 each year.

Corn will increase in price per bushel, and land that will produce corn will advance in price till it will sell for $250 per acre. So, if you have corn land, hold to it. If you have none, buy some before March Ist. Raise corn, for it will always be worth cash, and raise pork, for in ten years from now meat will be so high that we will not eat it every meal. The evening session was very good. Mrs. Eib read a very interesting paper on social duties. Mrs. Eib is quite a leader in her neighborhood in Sunday school work as tvell as social affairs, and an article from her pen on this subject could rfbt fail to be of interest to the audience.

The author of Hoosier Hunting Grounds was on deck with his comic papers and as his company or' companions in arms deserted him on the eve of the battle, Johnnie was forced to sing two or three quartettes all alone. But he was equal to the occasion and filled the house with mirth and meriment. Long live Bill Bat. Mr. Thompson gave one of the best talks ever delivered at a farmers’ institute. Subject, “Position of the Farmer Among Men.” Space will not admit of going into detail on this very valuable talks. Committee on resolutions gave out the following: All children excused from school should be required to attend the Farmers’ Institute and teachers report names of attendance. We recommend that the County Council be authorized to appropriate money for the boys’ and girls’ clubs in connection with the Farmers’ Institute. We recommend that the treasurer make a report of all money paid out and received. WM. AUGSPURGER, JOHN W. NORMAN, ABNER C. PANCOAST, Committee. Committee on nominations were: D. H. Yeoman, A. J. Bellows and A. G. W. Farmer. President, Samuel Sparling; Secretary, Marion I. Adams; Treasurer, John W. Lesh. Ladles’ Auxiliary: President, Mrs. Burton; Secretary, Mrs. Comer; Treasurer, Mrs. M. I. Adams.