GEAYLING INSTITUTE. 



335 



Area of crops in Crawford county in 18S3 and 1884. From Report of Michigan Agri- 

 cultural Statistics, 1884. 



Crops. 



Corn 



Wheat 



Oats 



Rye -. 



Buckwheat 



Clover 



Peas 



Beans 



Potatoes 



Barley 



Acres in 18S3. 



174 Winter , 

 16 Spring ' 



151 



190 



206 



190 



157 



243 



4 



6 



381 



6 



Acres in 1884. 



186 



436 Winter | .-.o 

 42 Spring f *^** 



627 



285 



275 



749 



29 



39 



469 



16 



Dr. Kedzie: A question has been propounded to me: ''Can human 

 excretions be used to enrich the soil for the growth of crops?" I say 

 emphatically, yes. One of the abominations of our civilization is the accu- 

 mulation of such material where it poisons us. It should go into the soil as 

 soon as possible. The soil purifies it and does away with its noxious influ- 

 ence. It is the richest kind of manure. 



Mr. Webber: That is the ascension from damnation unto life. 



Dr. Kedzie: Very certainly; when it is baried out of sight in the soil 

 and the plant gets hold of it, it is resurrected unto life. 



I am asked how the Belgium pea would succeed in this country. I don't 

 know anything about it, but if you can transfer it into American soil it will 

 be a good thing. Peas of any kind are an exceedingly profitable crop as far 

 •as the production of manure is concerned. 



Mr. : How is it about buckwheat? 



Dr. Kedzie : I think it is about as low down as you can get. It will kill 

 sorrel and give you pancakes; but so far as enriching the farm is con- 

 cerned I don't think very much of it. If you can not grow anything else 

 grow rye ; that will grow on almost anything and form an accumulation of 

 vegetable matter. 



Mr. : Must the poor man leave the plains? 



Dr. Kedzie : Well, that's not plain. I think that the poor man who has 

 intelligence, pluck, and the faith that subdues kingdoms can stay here and 

 succeed. 



Dr. Miles: In regard to buckwheat I will say that they grow it in Belgium; 

 but its value is a matter of contention among farmers. Some won't cultivate 

 it at all. They think it does not work as well in their rotation as other 

 things. 



Mr. Silsby: I would like to ask what is the matter with our meadows? 

 On my farm, which was heavy timbered land, the wire worm or something 

 kills the stalk entirely. The stalk grows until it gets to the height of the 

 rest of the grass and then dies and you see the dead stems still standing 

 among the other grass. This is on land that has been seeded for some years 

 and that seems to have become sod bound. 



