creek, or down onto the marsh. It is true that a barn upon the side hill is nice, so far as regards keeping the yard dry, and it is also equally as wasteful as it is nice. Every rain is a constant drain. upon your manure heap.

Well, after locating my barns so as to avoid all unnecessary drainage, I would leave each winter's accumulation of manure in the yard until after haying and harvest, and then I would put it upon the land that I intended for corn the next season as soon as I could, and would have it spread evenly over the ground as fast as drawn, and you will find the next spring when you plow the land, that it will be mellow and your corn will come up readily and will grow from the start.

If you have some meadow land that you want to build up a little, top dress it with some well rotted manure, and you will be surprised at the improvement it will make in your crop of hay. One word more and I will leave the floor for others, for I see plenty of farmers that are just aching to pitch into my heresies. What I want to say is this: Make all the manure you can, and be sure that you apply it to the land in such manner as to get the best returns from it; and I want to say further, that the richer the food given the animal the better will be the manure, and as milch cows will double their quantity of milk if well fed with grain, you will see your grain will, if fed to your cows, yield you a double profit.

In answer to query, Mr. Favill would cut clover after the dew is off in the morning, and put it into a tight barn before night in big mows. If you stack it, dry it more or you will lose it. The last hay he cut was clover put up in this way, to the extent of about seven tons, and it was the best hay he ever fed. It looked dark and brown, but his cows ate it as clean as they would eat meal.

Mr. Toole would pack his hay very tight, if possible, and thinks the air-tight barn would also help to preserve the hay. Thinks the best manner of applying manure for permanent effect is in top-dressing meadow land.

In answer to the question, "What shall we do with the straw?" Mr. Wood would use the straw as food, but wants a breed of hibernating domestic animals, that can be laid away in the fall and be taken out in the spring in good condition. Thinks that the fact that the manure from high-fed stock is richer than that from the straw-fed animal, is evidence of wasteful feeding. Knows no way of having good hay in the spring, unless it is put up dry. President True has seen the hibernating process tried. The animals were successfully laid away on straw, but nobody was able to resuscitate them in the spring.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

H. B. Knapp believes in Mr. Favill's plan of curing clover. Has practiced it with success. Cattle eat it clean, when they will eat straw before eating clover cut after the blossoms have turned.

Mr. Fish, of Winfield, has been, until the last few years, of the opinion that clover must be well dried before storing, but is becoming more and more convinced that it will do to put it up much greener, although he would hardly dare put it up as green. as some gentlemen advocate. Found a stack which he supposed would spoil because stacked so green, in fine condition this winter.

Gen. Bryant raises a good deal of clover, but stacks it all, and of course dries it more thoroughly than if he put it in barns. A neighbor puts green clover in a tight barn, and has for ten years, and his cattle eat it clean. Is convinced that it is the best way to cure clover if you have a tight barn. Salt does no material good in the barn. Salts clover in stacks. Don't believe in using lime on bay.

Mr. Wood thinks there is no doubt that spontaneous combustion does sometimes occur, and might occur from the natural heating of green hay.

In answer to question, Mr. Favill says it will do to pack green clover upon scaffolds where the hay can be only ten or twelve feet deep.

Mr. Baringer thinks the condition of the atmosphere after put

ting up the hay has much to do with its keeping. Finds spots in his hay that are mow burnt, although generally in fine condition. In a barn not tight, it kept well and came out green and good.

Mr. Grisim endorses the plan of cutting hay given by Mr. Favill, but cannot agree with his method of curing. His hay will heat and mould if not well cured. Has a steer two years and ten days old which weighed 1,400 pounds, and never had a taste of straw. Would not insult his cattle by offering them

straw.

Mr. Knapp put green hay upon a scaffold three or four feet deep and it spoiled. Has had this experience twice. Can put in six or eight loads a day green, with safety, if the top is kept covered with straw.

M. W. Waterbury takes great pains in stacking straw and lets his stock run to it. Feeds hay twice a day in connection with the straw. Finds the green mowed hay preferred by his cattle. Can feed straw and grain to sheep with better results than to any other stock.

Mr. Cook thinks barley straw better than any marsh hay.

Mr. Walbridge lost three steers by giving all the good oat straw, water and salt they wanted, and nothing else.

Mr. Knapp feeds hay and lets cattle run to straw. Thinks barley straw better than any wild hay and better than ripe clover hay.

Mr. N. W. Morley does not feed straw to cows. They eat considerable straw in the yard. Mr. Johnson does the same. Mr. Walbridge will give one-fourth more for early cut hay than for hay which has seed in it.

According to announced programme, Gen. Bryant was called upon for a paper. Has no paper prepared. Never saw or heard of the programme before. Would like to stir up Major Williams a little if he could. The Major is getting old and he does not fear him as much as he once did. Read from State Agricultural Report Dairy cows, and how to breed them," which was well received by the convention.

R. D. Torrey, of Oshkosh, spoke upon the subject of Agricul tural Conventions. They are of comparatively recent origin. At

first it was hard to get farmers to take any interest in these meetings, and one or two men had to do the work. This is the seventh convention held in the state this winter, and all well attended.

Compliments this convention upon the readiness of citizens to take part. It is the duty of every man to give his thoughts to the public, even if absurd or worthless, because somebody corrects him, and the good result is soon seen. It is a duty we owe to one another in all classes and professions in life, to give the world the benefit of our best thoughts. Thinks little of fairs. Agricultural societies are organized for improvement for holding such meetings as these. Fairs show the result of these conventions. Fairs not the objective point-simply a result of some other thing, if that other thing be properly conducted. The purpose of agricultural societies is education to place farming where it belongs, at the head of all occupations. Ought to be a a farmers' club in every township, meeting once in two weeks.

Returning to the topic of using manures, Mr. J. M. Smith would not plow under manure. Makes compost heap and spreads upon the surface. As a general rule, would decompose manures so that they would be more readily available. The man who uses the most manure will invariably be the most successful farmer. Is every year more surprised at the productive capabilities of the soil. Puts manure on gardens, on the surface in the spring, after plowing.

Mr. Favill would spread manure in the fall and plow it under in the spring, if the land was reasonably level.

Mr. Fish thinks common sense a fine thing in farming. Would plow under coarse manure on stiff, heavy soils. On light soils would put well rotted manure on surface. Thinks permanent results better to plow under crude manure.

Mr. Grisim, for potatoes, draws manure in August after plowing; spreads in the spring and gives a light plowing.

Mr. Bryant says the first agricultural convention ever held in the state, was got up nine years ago by the Morrows, then editing an agricultural paper in Madison.

A successful farmer made good pastures on sandy land by spreading refuse straw thin on the ground. When asked how

thin, replied that the man who did it was a preacher, and said that he spread his straw as he did his sermons, as thin as possible. Believes fall plowing the best, but plows shallow. The great trouble with farmers is that they are not sociable enough. Likes farmers' clubs, but likes the Grange much better.

Mr. Baringer recommends barnyard manure for heavy clay soils, and rotted manure for light lands. Plow under straw and found good results. Puts long manures on baked soils. out the nature of the soil and treats it accordingly.

Finds

On motion, Messrs. Wm. Toole, J. W. Wood and W. T. Kelsey were appointed a committee to draft resolutions.

Several gentlemen paid deserved compliments to Major Williams for his efforts in introducing Short-horns among the farmers, of the state.

Query: Which is better, to turn off steers at two or two and a half years, or keep them longer?

Gen. Bryant would not keep a steer after he is three years old. Beef is better at that age. Feed as well as possible and sell at that age. Ought to weigh from sixteen to twenty-two hundred weight.

Mr. Williams says it takes less food the first year, more the second, and still more the third. Increase of weight in proportion to feed greatest first year, less the second, still less the third, and so on till the fifth year, when increase ceases.

Gen. Bryant would feed corn as soon as they can be made to eat it. Feeds shelled corn. Don't pay to give one-eighth to the

miller.

Mr. Grisim fed two calves four quarts each of oats, potatoes and meal. Last winter fed ground corn and oats, three pecks a day. Fed meal in summer six quarts a day. Fed this winter twelve quarts of meal twice a day. Present weight of the steers, at nearly three years old, about thirty-five hundred weight. Is a meal man. Wants everything ground. Feeds all they will eat Intends to sell them

of corn meal. Steers seven-eighths Durham. this spring.

Mr. Favill says it pays to feed meal in summer. Thinks the majority of feeders feed whole corn and let the hogs follow the