104 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Morrill : In that case, I should take screw eyes and drive on the 

 inside of these limbs and attach wires to these; run the wire around 

 among the limbs, so that as they get to spreading, they will relieve the 

 crotches; have each limb support itself from the other, on the opposite 

 side; take some large-sized screw eyes, strike a scratch awl into the tree, 

 set your screw eye in; then run galvanized iron around there; when done 

 draw it tight; the fruit sagging will draw it tight. The screw eyes 

 should be on the inside of the limbs, to prevent cutting. Let the weight 

 rest on the screw eye. It does away with all props, and prevents them 

 from breaking down. 



Mr. Thomas Mars: There was a remark in regard to the grain farmer, 

 Avhich I cannot endorse, that he is exhausting his land; and that he is 

 becoming poorer from producing grain. I deny that; I have traveled all 

 over Michigan, and I have known the State ever since I was a boy when 

 the country was in its virgin condition, and I want to say to the gentle- 

 man that there is being produced today more per acre than ever before 

 in the history of this country, and the farmer who will deteriorate his soil 

 as a grain farmer, or as a fruit grower, is not entitled to the credit of 

 being called a farmer. He ought to have his farm taken away from him, 

 and let it be given to the widow, and let her run it. 



Another thing I want to say to the grain farmers, don't abandon your 

 calling; keep along in that channel. If you could turn a little to dairying, 

 do so, but don't leave out the grain, because these poor fellows who are 

 grubbing in the sand over here to get some fruit, will die for the want of 

 bread. I just want to give the grain farmer a hint that the fruit growers 

 predominate in this audience. 



Mr. Lester: I am one of those grain farmers, and I have held right to 

 it. I have been in this country 44 years, and on my farm I can raise 

 twice as much wheat as 44 years ago, with less work. But whether we 

 raise fruit trees or grain, we have got to use plenty of manure; there is 

 nothing quite equal to it. 



Q: How about clover? 



Mr. Lester: Don't get sick because you lost your clover. I think if 

 you would come up to my place, we could show you as good a crop of 

 clover as you would wish to see. We lost some last summer, but we 

 bought more the other day and we are going to sow it. In California I 

 notice they go to sheep corrals and buy the manure by carloads; what 

 will you do with these sand hills, if you don't have something to keep the 

 land up? 



Mr. : I came to St. Joseph the 12th of June, 1837. The 



soil then was a virgin soil. The farmers of that section thought they 

 were getting a fair crop of wheat if they had 11 to 13 bushels an acre. 

 Last year, with the drouth, we had a very poor crop of wheat, and yet it 

 averaged over 14 bushels to the acre. We had a severe drouth, and we 

 have had for nearly twelve years. Now, sir; I don't believe you can raise 

 peaches or anything else without moisture; we have no difficulty in 

 getting a good catch of clover, but the clover will burn up in four or five 

 months of burning weather; but I merely wished to say that the idea of 

 deterioration of the ground and of the crops raised is a mistake. We are 

 raising more to the acre now than fifty years ago. 



