42 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



PART II. 



STATE FARMERS' INSTITUTE. 



AGRICULTURAL CONVENTION— PROCEEDINGS OF 

 THE STATE BOARD. 



UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF 

 AGRICULTURE. 



Des Moines, Iowa, December 9, 1902. 



The annual sesson of the Iowa State Fanners' Institute was 

 held in the rooms of the Agricultural Department at the capitol 

 building, on Tuesday, December 9, 1902. In the absence of 

 President J. C. Frasier, Vice-President W. W. Morrow presided 

 and called the meeting to order at ten o'clock a. m., as per the 

 published program. 



The chairman announced the first paper on the program,, "How 

 to maintain the fertility of the soil upon a farm devoted to grain 

 raising," which was read by its author, Mr. Henry Parsons, Rock- 

 well City, Iowa, as follows: 



HOW TO MAINTAIN THE FERTILITY OF THE SOIL UPON A FARM 

 DEVOTED TO GRAIN RAISING. 



Henry Parsons, Rockwell Cittf, Iowa. 



This question is of vital importance to the farmer of Northwestern 

 Iowa, it being a country naturally adapted to the growing of grain, and 

 the high price of land making it unprofitable to use it for grazing. 



On many farms there is much land that overflows, or is too rough 

 to plow, which must be used for pasture and meadow. This makes it 

 necessary to grow grain continually upon that part which is adapted 

 to grain farming. The West being able to supply us with cattle and 

 sheep cheaper than we can raise them to which we may feed our grain. 



