Messrs. Cowan and Smith, both celebrated breeders, went out to see the bull, and on returning, Mr. Cowan stated that he was a fine animal, and worth much more than was given.

The bull was accepted without a dissenting vote.

On motion of Mr. Leonard, a vote of thanks was tendered Gov. Morehouse for the interest he had manifested in the matters before the Board.

In response th Governor thanked the members for their hearty co-operation, and stated that his purpose in calling the Board together had been accomplished; that he was satisfied that good faith had been observed in the management of the funds. That the law in some particulars might not have been literally carried out; that he regarded the law of such a character that it was not possible to carry it out to the letter, but that so far as his knowledge extended, he was convinced that the spirit of the law had been obeyed faithfully; that there had been no misappropriation, and that the State had met with no loss.

The question came up concerning the publication of the proceedings of the meeting, and a general discussion followed. Some members advocated a full report, others only a brief synopsis, while others were of the opinion that the less published the better. The Secretary stated that he desired to act fairly and impartially in the matter, and therefore departed from his usual custom of following his own judg ment, in order not to be misunderstood, and would act upon vote of the Board.

Mr. Coleman expressed a decided conviction against it appearing in the 17,000 copies of the Board Report to be distributed over the State.

No action was taken on the matter, and the Board adjourned sine die.

MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

COLUMBIA, Mo., April 10, 1888.

A meeting of the executive committee of the State Board of Agriculture was held at Columbia, Missouri, April 10, 1888, with the following members present:

Mr. J. A. Potts, President.

Mr. F. W. Smith.

Prof. J. W. Sanborn, Secretary.

Voted on motion of Mr. Smith to build a silo and root cellar for experimental purposes.

Moved by Mr. Smith that the Dean be instructed to build a fence around the eight acre field used for experimental purposes, and to grub up the stumps and brush on one acre of the same. Carried.

Voted on motion of Prof. Sanborn to use a sum not exceeding $250 in putting stalls in the new barn for experimental purposes. Voted to put in track for horsefork at the expense of the tool account.

Voted to call a meeting of the Board in June.
Adjourned.
J. W. SANBORN,

A R-10.

Secretary.

INSTITUTE MEETINGS FOR 1887-8.

The following brief review of the Farmers' Institute meetings, held by the Board during the winter of 1887 and 1888, embodies, with few exceptions, only the discussions, while the papers presented and addresses will be found in another part of this volume:

MEETING AT NEW LONDON.

The first meeting of the sixth series of Farmers' Meetings was held at New London, Ralls county, December 20, 1887.

A blinding snow storm greeted the Board and prevented a morning meeting.

The afternoon session was opened in the midst of a driving storm, yet a fair audience was present. As the idea of an evening session was, owing to the inclement weather, abandoned, the afternoon meeting was crowded with talks without an opportunity for questions or discussion.

Secretary Sanborn opened the meeting by answering a call to state the work of the State Agricultural College.

He said the Agricultural College was organized by act of Congress of 1862, which gave 30,000 acres of land to each State for each of its members of Congress. The object of this land grant was "to found at least one college whose leading object shall be to teach such branches of learning as relate to agriculture and the mechanic arts, including military tactics, and not excluding the classics, in order to provide the industrial classes with a liberal education." Thus it was not founded as a farmers' college alone, but as the people's college.

OBJECT OF CONGRESSIONAL GRANT.

147

While the leading object was to teach agriculture, or those branches of learning that relate to it, yet farmers are the class that least avail themselves of the privileges of these colleges, although especially invited. Furthermore, we complain because other classes have availed themselves of their plain rights under the law and fill these colleges. While I am deeply interested in the agricultural work of these colleges. I can but recognize that the absence of farmer's sons is voluntary on their part and not wholly just for them to complain if others do go. to these people's colleges. I am asked what progress we have made. Our college of agriculture was founded in 1870 by our State Legisla ture which solemnly contracted with the United States to equip and maintain it. It bargained with Boone county, which gave a farm of 640 acres and part of a school building costing in all $90,000. To this the State added $40,000 toward finishing the school building. The State then stopped until last spring, when it added $22,750 to equip the farm and other departments which had been unnamed after the first act of the State in 1870 in State donation. It remained until this year without farm buildings, save a house, and otherwise lacking in equipment until this fall.

None of its land was sold beyond a few acres until 1881-82, hence it was without an income. When the speaker took charge in the fall of 1882 it was miserably off in tools, stock, library, museum, and the fields and pastures were stumpy, bushy and in no condition to be successfully worked.

It now has a fine museum of agricultural objects for class room illustration; a good library of modern agricultural and horticultural works; horticultural grounds of thirty acres, well filled with ample means of illustration in the growth and handling of small and large fruits, nursery stock and garden operations. In addition to this it has a large green house and propagating room.

The farm of 640 acres has had improvements in its pastures, fields and fences, costing two or three thousand dollars, and has carried on experiment work for five years from its own resources as well as its added improvements. For four years it has not received any outside aid, yet its fertility has been doubled and its crops put to the front, its crop of wheat for 1887 being 45 1-2 bushels per acre for all its ground in wheat, or seventeen acres. In the meanwhile its experiments. have cost hundreds of dollars annually. This has been done in years of falling prices, and in one of the most serious periods in the history of our agriculture.

Its experiment work I will in part merely mention from memory, as I did not expect this question to be raised. It has carried on trials in

pig feeding every year. Among other things it has shown that about two and three-fourths per cent. of the live weight of a pig is used daily for maintenance fodder, and that if the pig is kept 200 days longer than the needed time for fattening, from forty-six to fifty per cent. more food is used for growth than was necessary. I find that 3.99 pounds of food in many tests will make a pound of live pig; that the larger a shote grows, the more food is required to make a pound of growth; that cob meal finely ground will make as much growth as corn meal; that shipstuff is as good or better food than corn; that a most profound change can be made in the character of the growth of a shote, to the extent of fifty per cent. difference in fat of pigs, a change in the weight of vital organs, hair, etc., by feeding radically different foods the one very nitrogenous, and the other very carbonaceous. Both pigs may grow at the same rate, yet one shall contain a high proportion of lean and the other an equally high proportion of fat meat.

In cattle feeding it has shown that by feeding albuminous foods with straw and corn fodder these foods can all be used at a very great advantage. Indeed, to the extent of doubling our stock in Missouri from our waste food alone. That clover and corn fodder together are worth as much as timothy hay, pound for pound. That pasture feeding of grain does not pay. That mixed pasture grasses are better than blue grass pastures.

It has shown for years of trials that whole good sized potatoes are much more profitable for seed than many other methods of seeding and probably any other method. That potatoes mulched in dry weather gave greatly increased yields but gave less in very wet years.

It has shown that a soil loses moisture at night and that shallow tillage stops evaporation of moisture.

It has shown that nitrogen is the special fertilizer for wheat on corn, and that it is of little use for corn on the College farm.

It has shown that broad wheels draw much easier on grass sod than narrow wheels and the same holds true of mud roads.

It has shown that corn may be cut up when the ear is going out of the dough state and fodder and corn saved at great gain over the ordinary method.

It has shown that cross-bred corn is more prolific than in-bred

corn, and that the stalk can be bred down by selection,

In has made many trials of varieties of wheat and corn.

It has shown that subsoiling is advantageous in dry years, but does not pay on the average.

It found that clover stacked in the field lost 13.7 per cent. in weight of dry matter during the winter.