ered this fact, that where the salt was sown a bushel and a half to the acre, that it did not ripen as readily as where the salt was not sown. The leaves were quite green, and the stalk showed a considerable juice and sap after the other stalks had become considerably dry and begun to crinkle under the effects of the chinch bug, but where salt was sown there was no indication of the chinch bug, and where they appeared a very little they did not seem to do any harm to the wheat. I did not take measurements, but I I do not think that I had over one-half as much wheat on the little strip where the salt was not sown. That was in Waukesha county, dark prairie soil, with clay subsoil. Then we have a sort of gravel hard pan. And from that experiment, that I cannot be mistaken in, I have no doubt but that the farmers of Waukesha county will increase their spring wheat crop at least one-third every season by the use of salt.

Mr. Peffer - Salt contains potash, lime and oxide of iron, so it is stated. Now Waukesha county, you are all aware, is on the line with limestone. It is limestone pebbles. Now I was going to ask the Professor if this oxide of iron, that is in the salt, will not dissolve, as he was stating, the two parts that are in the lime. I know you can see it twenty rods off where the salt is sowed. The straw stands straight and is taller than where it is not sowed. I am sure it has an effect on the straw, and from what he was explaining I am convinced that it must have an effect on the lime that is in the soil, that gives it that tendency of growth.

Mr. Pilgrim I would like to say that, as friend Peffer says, it is easy to see its effect at twenty or forty rods distance. I for one have practiced the use of salt for three years, and I fail yet to have seen a piece of straw of either wheat, oats or barley that was affected with rust where salt was used. Now if it affects nothing but the straw alone, we have the benefit of more than the cost of the salt in the straw.

II. A. Lewis What is this salt? Did you use ordinary barrel salt or did you get a cheaper article.

Mr. Pilgrim I have never used anything but the ordinary barrel salt. That is what I buy. It is convenient to load up, and I do not go to the packing houses. They charge you so

much and it is quite an accommodation, they think, to let you

have it.

Mr. Peffer

Our folks buy it by the car load at four and a half and five dollars delivered at the city.

Prof. Henry In regard to the use of refuse salt or the cheap salts that are sent out, the chances are altogether in their favor, as being better than the pure salt. Table salt would contain, if pure, only chloride of sodium. It is usually from ninety-seven. to ninety-nine per cent. of pure chloride of sodium, and the remaining part is a little lime and a trace of potash and so on, while very often impure salts, such as they throw away in the factories, contain a considerable per cent. of line and potassium. It is a great deal to your advantage to buy refuse salt. Then you are getting your potash very cheap.

The committee on Resolutions here presented the following resolutions:

Resolved, That it is the sense of this convention that the time of holding town elections be changed from April to the same time in March, and that the legislature be requested to change the law accordingly.

Resolved, That it is the sense of this convention that the present tax of four per cent. on gross receipts of railroads is not a fair proportion of the taxes to be paid on property of our state; therefore we recommend a careful consideration of the same by our legislators, and the passage of a law increasing the rate or a further restriction of the rates of tariff for freights and passengers.

Resolved, That our secretary is hereby instructed to deliver a copy of these resolutions to the president of the senate and speaker of the assembly, with the request that it be read by the clerks and spread on the journals.

Believing the cane growing interest of our state to be of vital importance, and believing it to be a duty of our state to foster its growing interests, therefore

Resolved, That this convention asks that a suitable appropriation be made for the procurement of proper buildings, fixtures

and experts under the direction of regents of State University, to be used by them in the manufacture of sugar, and in the distribution of the results of such experiments among the people.

President Fratt - We will now take up the resolutions as reported by the committee.

The resolution recommending a change of the time of holding town elections was then read and adopted by the convention. The resolution concerning taxation of railroads was then read and submitted to the convention.

A. A. Arnold, Galesville-In regard to that resolution, I do not know that I will give you any information, but I will ask your indulgence a few minutes, while I give you some figures which you could all get as I did, by consulting the reports. The total amount of railroad property in this state, according to the Railroad Commissioner's report, is $121,250,258.04, and the total amount paid by them for taxes, as stated in that report, is $785,216.30; but the Secretary of State's report shows that they have actually paid a tax of $418,000. They pay this by paying four per cent. on their gross receipts, which is considered the best way of paying their taxes, and I have no doubt that is the best form in which they can pay their taxes. past year were $31,779,355.65, and their operating expenses $15,252,766.88, showing that they make, you may say, forty per cent. Now the total value of the property of this state, as shown by the town assessors, is some $406,000,000. Estimated by some, the actual valuation is $450,000,000. That is perhaps nearer the correct amount. We must recollect that this is a low valuation, whereas this railroad property is at a high valuation; it is according to their estimates; but they are making, on their valuation, forty per cent. The farmers and business men of the state are making perhaps from one to ten per cent.

Their receipts for the

Now, the average amount of tax paid by the individuals of this state is seventeen mills and a trifle over. This includes all kinds of taxes; state, county, school and everything. I believe the road tax in some cases is left out. Now, this amounts to $7,577,767.27 that the people of this state pay. Now, if the railroads paid, on their estimate of the value of the roads, the

same tax that the people pay, that is, seventeen mills on the dollar, they would pay into the state treasury $3,251,254.38, whereas they actually pay $418,000. We pay seventeen mills on the dollar; they pay three and twenty-five one-hundredths mills. That is the way I have figured it from the report. Now, the question is, are they paying their right proportion of the taxes. I do not want the railroads to pay a cent more in proportion to the value of their property than anyone else. I would be willing to give them the same advantage I would give a mill owner. A mill owner should not be assessed as high as a farmer, because his property is not of such permanent value; liable to flood and fire; and so I would give the railroads an advantage to a certain extent, but the discrepancy is too great. According to this estimate, the people of the state are paying in taxes five times as much as the railroads are. The resolution is that the legislature should increase the percentage they pay on their gross income, or if we do not do that, it ought to investigate the matter and see whether or not we should not restrict them in their rates for carrying passengers and freight. One of the two things should be done; it makes no difference to the people which.

The resolution was unanimously adopted by the convention. The resolution on encouragement of cane growing was read and submitted to the convention.

J. C. Plumb, Milton 'I would like to inquire whether this appropriation is to be used under 'the direction of the board of regents. There may be reasons why it should not be used in that direction.

-

Prof. Henry I believe if this money is placed in the hands of the board of regents it is the safest way. My confidence in the board of regents is perfect. I believe they are just as willing to keep our agricultural department as any men in the state of Wisconsin. We have two farmers on the board and they form the farm committee, and the money could be put in such a shape that the farm committee could control it. It would then be under my control as much as it ought to be.

Mr. Arnold- I move to amend by substituting "the board of regents" for "Prof. Henry."

The amendment was carried and the resolution as amended was adopted by the convention.

G. J. Kellogg, Janesville - There has been a lack of time for the discussion of some topics that I should like to have heard discussed. This forenoon we placed on the table some eight or ten varieties of apples, and would have liked to have discussed their merits if there had been time. There was the Wealthy, Pewaukee, Fameuse, Ben Davis, Seek-no-Further, Willow Twig and Gloria Mundi. We would have liked especially to have presented the merits of the Western Seek-no-Furthers. They were grown here in Madison. There are two of them, one very prominent in Minnesota, and one in our own state whose merits. we would have liked to present in connection with Mr. Philips' paper, which I believe is the best horticultural paper we have had during the convention.

farmers pass

J. C. Plumb This life is too short to finish everything in one convention. I think most of the members present are pretty well surfeited and willing to keep quiet and sit still. I simply want to remark that I hope we all have received some important thought that we will carry home and digest at our leisure. I hope we will not let ourselves drop into the old rut of chore-doing and the sleepy condition. the majority of their days in, and especially their winter days, reading the political paper and chopping a little wood and going through the chores, and so day after day would pass without any substantial progress. This may seem a little hard; but it is mild language as applied to the majority of us who till the farm. I want to recommend to you farmers to get a good agricultural paper in your homes, not a monthly but a weekly, or, if you must have a monthly have four of them, and as you read and thoughts arise, take a pencil and jot them down. If you do so, as you read agricultural and other papers you will find your thoughts extending, and your desire for information increasing, and you will want to go to the libraries and procure good books, and your children will be interested, and you will find a taste for a higher grade of literature springing up in your families; and when you come to these meetings you will find