FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 351 



Middleville has accomplished the past year. There have been delivered to our 

 factory, 2,792,068 pounds of milk, from which were made 123,135 pounds of butter. 

 Our patrons withdrew for home use 10,359 pounds of butter, which had a cash 

 value of $2,115.80, the balance selling in the markets of the world for $22,105.12, 

 making a total cash value of $24,220.92. Had this amount of butter been produced 

 by the hard labor of the farmers' wives and daughters at home, and sold in the old 

 fashioned way of taking it to the store and receiving store pay, it would have 

 brought on an average about thirteen cents per pound. You will see in our little 

 community on the amount of butter made we are richer by $8,213.37. You will say 

 the farmers did not receive all this extra amount. Admitting this to be true, the 

 farmer has received more in cash than he would had he made it at home, saying 

 nothing of the hard labor saved. 



THOROUGHBRED STOCK. 



E. H. DOANE, AT ISABELLA COUNTY INSTITUTE. 



I think one of the best ways for the farmer of today to succeed is to raise more 

 on an acre of ground; put the land in a better state of fertility, and raise better 

 stock, and I think one of the best fertilizers is plenty of stock. If we feed nearly 

 all the fodder we raise, and a large part of the grain, and free our barnyards of 

 manure about twice each year, we will not be apt to run out the land; then, if the 

 well bred and well fed stock will bring a good price today and all the time, would 

 we not be all right yet, even though it seems to be hard times, if we would be more 

 thorough and stand right by the best stock we could get, discarding the scrub any 

 and every time? I think they should fast become a thing of the past. If we could 

 always use sires that are thoroughbreds, and then give that young stock we get 

 from such breeding a fair chance, or in other words crowd it to maturity as 

 fast as possible, I think we would be better pleased with the prices we receive for 

 our surplus stock; but, on the other hand, if we breed to thoroughbred sires, and 

 then sell our calves for veal, because they are nice, or the pigs at weaning time, 

 or sell the young stock because it does not just suit us at first, and then go 

 back to the scrub, we will never sell the high priced stock, unless we buy another 

 man's experience and care. But wise breeding is not all that is necessary; the 

 young stock needs care and feed from birth to maturity, and without these com- 

 bined efforts success is impossible; but one will say I don't see but what my hogs 

 or my calves, or my lambs, are about as good as yours, but when I ask them how 

 they happen to have such good stock, I find they have been using thoroughbred 

 and high grade sires for several years, and of course they can't get a grade without 

 a thoroughbred; but I contend that the grade is not as good as the thoroughbred; 

 of course, after several crosses, the grade may be nearly as good, but we always 

 notice that every cross produces an easier keeper and comes one step nearer to the 

 ideal breed of our choice. 



ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 



ALEX. SHARP, CENTREVILLE, AT ST. JOSEPH COUNTY INSTITUTE. 



Throughout the past ages agriculture was considered to be a. menial and 

 degraded employment. The farmers had not taken the social position that 

 belonged to them. Farming was to be raised to a higher position, and it was to be 

 raised through the farmer himself; but progress was slow. In 1783 the British 

 Board of Agriculture was organized. This brought together for the first time men 

 from every part of the kingdom. There was a general exchange of opinions and 

 questions of importance were thoroughly discussed. This was the beginning, and 

 since then the need of applying the intellect to agriculture is universally acknow- 

 ledged, and so we are met here today to discuss and discover the best possible 

 methods of farming, fird to find all the means in our power to make our Avocation 

 a success, and so we greet you because of the purposes for which you are here. 



