St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-07
FARMERS, INSTITUTES.

One or the most SUBSTANTIAL D6nentS
which was ever bestowed upon the farmers
of the state of Minnesota in connection
with the agricultural department of the
state university was the plan adopted
year or two ago of holding farmers insti-
tutes, but which for some cause or other
was suspended. AS an illustration Of how
much this feature was appreciated by the
farmers, of the few meetings of this charac-
ter which were held while the first one had
a slim attendance the interest in them con-
tinued to increase until at the last one
which was held there was an attendance
of over 1000 persons interested in ag
ricultural pursuits. The farmers in this
country are largely in excess Of the rest of
the population. Agriculture is the real
basis of all of our prosperity. And yet
there is no class which is so thoroughly dis
organized and incapable of protecting itself
from the rapacity of those engaged in other
occupations as the agricultural class. 1t is
true that the strict and secluded attention,
which is required to be given to the details
of purely agricultural life is an obstacle
in the way of the farmers perfecting
tial in this age to the success
and protection OF any peculiar interest.
Still there are many ways open to them by
which they can prevent agriculture from
being dStanced in the race of modern
progress, and by the introduction Of such
methods and principles as are found profit
able in other professions to keep it in the
foremost rank Of occupations. There is no
better way of making beginning in this di-
rectiOn than by the establishment of farmers
institutes. The enterprising farmers of Wis
consin realize this fact, and last year
they procured the passage of law
by the state legislature providing for the
holding of farmers Institutes throughout
the state. What Wisconsin has done ought
to be done by every Western state, and, in
fact. by every state where agriculture is the
predominating interest. The plan of the
Wisconsin law provides for the holding of
winter meetings, at which skilled lecturers
are to talk on purely agricultural topics and
the members themselves compare eXper-
fences in the various farm enterprises. The
value of such a plan will readily
commend itself to every Minnesota
farmer. The long winter evenings could
not be more proftably disposed of by the
farmers than spent in these meetings. The
farmers of each community could arrange
to meet one, two or three evenings of each
week at some convenient place-say at the
district school house or some public place
or, for that matter, to hold their meetings
in rotation at their homes, where a more
distinctive social feature could be given to
them-and at these meetings they can take
up and discuss topics which belong to their
occupations. They might go still further.
and demand from the legislature. as the
Wisconsin farmers did, the passage Of
a law providing for the establishment
of these institutes and a reasonable
appropriation to defray the expense
of securing scientific lecturers. And
they might 90 still further and make the
agricultural school connected with the state
university a valuable aid to them in this
enterprise. And to put the project OIL
basis of success it will be necessary to Sc
cure the appointment of an intelligent and
successful practical farmer as managing
director.
The shoddy prejudice which once existed
against agriculture is rapidly fading before
a true realization of the dignity of the oc-
cupation of farming. and it is a
duty the farmers of Minnesota
owe to themselves and to their
occupation to gather arguments in
their own interests by some such wise ac-
ton as the Wisconsin farmers have done,
and as we have outlined above. Every
other profession does it. Doctors, lawyers,
merchants, preachers. school teachers. rail-
road managers and employees, mechanics,
and men of all other pursuits have found it
to be of the utmost benefit to meet at times
in dignified assemblageS for comparison of
views and study of others methods. There
is no earthly reason why farmers should
not meet in the same digniied way and Sc
cure the same benefits which accrue from
these assenblages. 1t is an old truth that
men advance just in proportion as they
mingle their thought with their
labor. This truth ought to apply with
greater force to agriculture than any other
occupation. Because nature made agrlcul-
tire is no reason why it should be perpet-
ually confined to the limited scope of its
primitive days 1t should not be distanced
in the race OF modern progress, but because
it is, as we have already said, the basis OF
all prosperity, agriculture should lead in
the way of improvement instead of tagging
i'll the rear of all its fellows. The GLOBE
hopes TO see the farmers of Minnesota
fully aroused and wide awake to their inter-
ests. Let them act, and act promptly, in