No. 7. DEPARTMENT UF AGR1CUL.TUKE. 16 



Standard of Agriculture. At the second evening session topics relat- 

 ing to the Country Home are presented. Indeed what subject is 

 fraught with greater possibilities to the ^tate than that of the Farm 

 Homes of Pennsylvania. Their sanitary condition's, surroundings, 

 the social problems, such as make life in the country pleasant and 

 desirable, for without well established i-ountry homes owned by the 

 occupants and adorned by a queenly crowned mother surrounded 

 with loving family circle, the State can not hope to long continue 

 its imperial strength and greatness. The day sessions are devoted 

 to practical and scientific ([uestious relating to the Soils, their forma- 

 tion, physical condition, productive possibilities, how to best grow 

 the various farm crops and those best adapted to the different soils 

 and market demands; also the nature of Plant Life and Growth, its 

 intricate lessons shown forth in leaf stalk and root. Possibly 

 greater interest was developed the past season in Corn Breeding 

 and' Cultivation than in that of any other cereals. Lessons given in 

 the selection of seed, manner of planting, cultivation and harvesting 

 this golden crop have developed a determination among the farmers 

 to grow a quality of corn better adapted to the requirements of the 

 animals kept upon our farms. We are learning that by careful 

 selection of seed, that expensive ingredients entering so largely into 

 all our Feeding Stuffs, Protein, etc., can be increased many per cent, 

 by planting seed having in its grains a well develo{)ed germ and con- 

 taining a large proportion of protein, by discarding seed deficient 

 in the protein-content from year to year, the farmers can Avith cer- 

 tainty expect to grow^ from the corn crop a feed approaching very 

 near to a balanced ration for their animals. Indeed, as a result of 

 Farmers' Institute teaching, the Pennsylvania farmer is rapidly 

 approaching the period when he will grow upon his farm the differ- 

 ent nitrogen-gathering x»lants and legumes rich in protein, and corn 

 ladened with an increased (juantity of protein within its kernels to 

 make a palatable and balanced ration for his animals, without hav- 

 ing to resort to the most costly and sometimes dangerous method, 

 that of purchasing the high priced and sometimes deleterious com- 

 pounds placed on the market as animal foods. 



Our course of instruction would be incomplete unless attended by 

 a competent corps of Dairy Instructors, since in no other line of 

 animal industry is there so great an investment of capital or so 

 many different problems- to solve, embracing the dairy herd, breed 

 and management, feed, care of milk, butter making, the making of 

 cheese, the demand for not only accurate teaching, but actual demon- 

 stration in testing milk for its purity and actual butter fat-content, 

 rixjening of cream and complete process of churning, working the 

 butter, marking, scoring and naming the points of excellence which 

 it contains. Meetings of this kind wherever held have proved emin- 

 ently useful to the dairyman and calls for such demonstrations are 

 reaching us from many counties of the State. By this demonstra- 

 tive method of instruction, we are rapidly weeding out the unpro- 

 fitable dairy cow. the more profitable dairy herds in Pennsylvania 

 yielding 350 lbs. of butter per year, whilst the poorer herds yield 

 but little in excess of 150 lbs. jjer year, thus we note the margin of 

 difference in yield is a wide one and the practical work of the Insti- 

 tute Division is to eliminate from the dairy herd the profitless 150 

 lbs. cow and place in her stend the 350 lbs. cow. V\'e nre proud to 



