FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 93 



MANCHESTER INSTITUTE. 



The farmers in the vicinity of Manchester took a live interest in this Insti- 

 tute. The commodious hall in which it was held was well filled at all the 

 sessions. In the morning most of them, with their wives, came to remain 

 during the day and evening, bringing baskets of provisions from which a 

 sumptuous repast was spread in an adjoining room, and partaken of during 

 the noon and evening recess. 



The committee on music are especially deserving of praise for the very 

 excellent music furnished on the occasion. 



After the usual opening exercises. President G-. D. Hose gave the following 

 address : 



Ladies and Gentlemen : — We have met here this evening to talk over the 

 different topics mentioned in the programme. By relating our own and listen- 

 ing to the experience of others, which may have varied somewhat from our 

 own, we may reasonably expect to be benefited. 



This is the second Institute held in this place. The one held here two years 

 ago gave general satisfaction and those attending seemed pleased and profited 

 by the exercises. We hope it will be so again. 



Gentlemen of the Agricultural College, we welcome you to our Institute. 

 As men of science and practical experience we will be glad to hear from you, 

 thinking perhaps you may throw some new light on the science of agriculture 

 which will inspire the farmer with new life. 



Fellow citizens, we welcome you all who have come to attend our Institute, 

 hoping you will feel at liberty to take an active part in our discussions ; not be 

 listners only, but talkers also, for we claim there is no position that man is 

 called to fill in which there is more room for improvement than that of farm- 

 ing, not only in tilling the soil, but also in economy. What I mean by econo- 

 my is not to deprive one's self of the necessaries or comforts of life, but to use 

 our products to the best possible advantage. Some men economize in one way 

 and leave the gates all open in others. I presume there is not a farmer among 

 us but that will say he has lost enough this last season in not doing his work 

 in season or in the proper manner to have hired another hand three or four 

 months. Once more cultivating or once more harrowing might easily give an 

 increase of a bushel or two to the acre. We are wasting labor and capital 

 unless we make the farm produce in full according to its capacity. 



Suppose you add to your average one or two bushels to the acre and one 

 pound of wool a head on your sheep, how would it affect your balance sheet? 

 Washtenaw county stands only second in her average of wheat in the two 

 southern tiers of counties, being an average of 21^ bushels. Almost every 

 farmer will tell you he might have raised a little better crop, even if his crop 

 •was ever so good, if he had prepared the ground better or sowed some other 

 kind of seed. If our average had been about one bushel more we would have 

 been the first. To talk of one bushel to the acre seems small, but take it right 

 in your own town. Manchester, Sharon and Bridgewater raise about 10,000 

 acres each of wheat; one bushel to the acre would make 30,000 bushels in 

 these three towns — at present prices nearly §40,000. That would pay a 

 big store bill. Add the same to other crops year after year, what might you 



