Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-16
Farmers Institute.

Farmers Institute.
The first Farmers Institute for Grant
county this season was held in Hyde's
Hall at Lancaster. December Is and 16,
1886. twas called to order by Supt.
Morrison Wednesday, December 10. al
Up. m. A large body of representative
farmers from all over the county were
present in spite of the cold weather and
exceedingly rough roads. Many of the
farmers appeared in town at an early
hour, expecting the institute to begin al
10 o'clock as advertised, but Supt Nor.
rison and his co-workers were unable tc
get here until the noon train arrived.
MIR. Morrison began by saying that
the Farmers Institute was new depar.
ture in the agricultural advancement Of
the state and marked an era of progress
and inquiry. We cannot farm to sue.
cess as our fathers did upon the rich and
fertile lands of a new country. New
methods are required, more brains, more
study and more intelligence are needed
to make a successful farmer to-day.
w. ID. Hoard, of Fort Atkinson, editor
OF Hoard's Dairyman, was called upon
to preside. Upon taking the chair he
spoke briefly concerning the subject and
plan of the institute work. As presid-
ing officer he was graceful and ready,
always having on hand an anecdote to
illustrate every point made. The Ian
caster Ladies' Quartette, composed OF
Mrs. w. G. Chandler, Misses Hattie and
Mamie Hyde and Miss Fannie Schmitt
then ''sweetened the occasion" with .All
Among the Barley" which was well re-
ceived by the audience.
j. A. Curtis, of Patch Grove, then
read the first paper of the afternoon.
entitled
WHO is THE SUCCESSFUL FARMER, BY J.
A. CURTIS.
Our success is what we makeit
Joy waits for those who take it,
Patience, energy, smiles and pluck,
Mine, and coin. and stamp success"
That is what the principles and prac-
tices to which successful farmers owe
their success. The successful farmers
OF to-day, as class. keep up with the
progress of the times and admit science
and intellect into the fields and the
barnyard, and give employment to the
brains as well as the hands. They see
that only in the light of science can la
Dor such as the farm requires be made
attractive and elevating. Changes, in
novation, improvements, are going on
everywhere in the fields and household
OF the successful farmer. When thought
and order. and scientific rules, and
good practical sense regulate and direct
the farm the owner is sure to be a sue
cessful man. Thought is necessary to
make work honorable; thought makes
the farmer a skillful tiler of the soil.
aud it adds dignity to labor; and hence
1t is the great educator of the intellect
ual and moral development of man.
Many men who have accumulated
a competency by farming when the
land was new, are far from being sue
cessful farmers in the true sense of the
word. knew man who owned land
by the thousands of acres and yet he
was a very poor specimen of farmer.
His land has been rented and constantly
cropped until it has been nearly ex-
hausted of its fertility. The less we
have of such farming the better for the
community as well as for prosterity.
Every man owes something to proster-
ity, and millions are living and dying
with debt unpaid. 1t is only when men
have paid the deot they owe to man, to
society, to government and to the world
that they can claim to be free, or claim
to be successful in any line of business.
A life wasted as the miser wastes it; as
he who never sends thrill of pleasure
through any human heart, is bankrupt
life. None liveth to himself aloner'
If we could all realize this solemn fact
this old world of ours would be better
and brighter and grander. "a man
isn't man unless he is in close and in
innate relation to other human beingsn
The miser leaves the heart barren, with
out a flower of kindness, without a
blossom of pity. There is no sense,
there is no proht in such a life. 1t is
not living.
To be successful farmer in this age
OF thrift aud enterprise, requires a high
degree of intelligence. To keep any
where pear the front rank he must keep
himself well posted in the markets of
the world and the supply and demand
of various farm products.
There is no broader field of science,
no moro demand for thought aud gen.
eral mental activity, than in the work
of well conducted farm. Labor is
dignitied and honorable when guided
by enlightened intellect. The farmer
should be an educated man, if for moth
ing else, that he may enjoy his business
and ennoble his profession.
The successful farmer does things on
time and with dispatch. He has good
stock, well made fences, flourishing
crops, clean fields, and other evidence
of thrift. To him farming is honorable
and profitable. and life is easy. The
poor farmer does things in shiftless
fashion and fails. TO him farming is a
poor business; he lives hard and cannot
see why anyone ever wants TO farm for
a living.
On habits of thoroughness and quick
ness, OF lack of them, depends success
or failure in any line of business. The
successful farmer is on time with all his
work, doing everything just when it
ought to be done to give the best re-
suits. The unsuccessful farmer is some.
what careless and behind hand, doing
Just as much work as his successful
neighbor during the season, but not do
ing 1t on time, according to the best
light OF the present day. The first may
be able to improve his farm and build.