Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-03-16

Points On Institute Work.-The cor
dial support various states give to the
farmers institutes indicates a general
interest in the promotion of agriculture.
A few suggestions may aid in advanc-
| ing the work.
| Local committees of limited expert
ence too often attempt to populal-iZe
the sessions by giving too much time
to speculative and theoretic discussion
-"preaching," so to speak. The state
lecturer is usually loaded with an hour
Of goody-goody eXhortation, which is
| attractive on victims during the even
ing session. This may be interesting,
but a much more interesting and profit
able hour would be had by the state
| speaker conducting Il Well-prepared
| INTERROGATION ON a variety of interest
ing subjects severally assigned to COM
| petent local talent in time to be pre-
| pared to give clear-cut, concise, crisp
| responses. This exercise should include
others who may be interested. Scien-
tific facts, experience, wit and hunor,
set forth in the best possible style
under sl1illful conductor, would keep
| the audience on tip toe expectancy, and
at the same time impress beneticent
/ knowledge. 1t requires tact and ability
on the part of the state man, obvlateS
sermons, calls out the best practical
local talent, and furnishes very inter
esting reports for the agricultural press.
Again, to reverse this exercise, assign
txro far Nv int tn1
in the topic the state speaker is to dis
cuss, to prepare list of pertinent que
ries on the same, as we'll as to conduct
the discussion by leading out modest
intellects in the audience. By this
means we get full benefit of the sub
ject the lecturer would have us infer
he is competent to discuss. This pre-
arrangement gives the farmers who are
leaders in the several lines Of agricult-
ure a fair chance to ask questions,
make remarks, and yet not be subjected
to criticism for bumptiousness and all
that.
If the local committee in charge
would give a report (private and candid
of courSe) of the work and its results
of each lecturer supported by state
funds, to the state secretary or officer
in charge, pointing out its strong and
and weak parts, suggesting points for
/ better work, etc, the board would
| know how the funds are being spent,
whether the list would need purging,
and what men deserved promotion.
| Tho state speakers cannot always
| measure an audience of hard-headed
farmers by the applause they may re-
ceiye, if any. Quite often It's the empty
heads whose hands clap loudest. And
then some men cater to this element
| by telling humorous anecdotes, which
may demoralize, not enliyen. AS i'll all
public enterprises, there are always a
! few parasites to be treated with a
killing application of public opinion.
The local committee can diagnose the
case.
! For good work, announce the pro
gram in the local press two weeks in
advance, that it may be studied, points
for inquiry noted, and then each one
take some part in the institute in a
firm, considerable and intelligent man
her, thus promoting the uplift of nus
bandry!
How too Much Farming Is Done
Farming has to be learned Like any
other business, and that is where peO
pie make a great mistake, says ID. *
X. in New York World. A man who
has failed to make a success in the
city retires to the country, buys OF
| 10 IL 70
it in utter Ignorance Of the funda
mental principles of tue calling he has
adopted. The same man would laugl
at any one who bought a book expect
, ing to read it without having learned
his alphabet Yet he does precisely thu
same thing. The A 3 C'S of farming
, have to be mastered thoroughly, ant
for that, time and practice are neces
sary The ignorant cannot succeed
This is the lesson we need to learn.
In Europe land is rented only t.
: those who are known to be expert
f er ced farmers and certain regulation
r are laid down to prevent the exhaus
| ton of the soil That is the reaso1
why we do not hear there of wornou
g farms, though the land has been unde
q cultivation for centuries. The fertilit
r of the soil has been preserved b.
|. means of regular rotation of crop
q and by keeping of a liberal amour
: of stock The latter point is the on
e most neglected in this country. Th
@ purchaser of a farm in America is ar
t to spend his last dollar in increasin
n the amount of his land, so that b
|. is left without the means to stock j
n This is the worst blunder he could POI
q sibly make. 1t would be far better
l. rent the land and own the stock. OF
e country farmers have learned this b
experience, and that is the reason VIII
they are generally successful when the
come here. The area of their farm
is usually smaller than that Of tt
Americans, but they have more stoc
and it is better handled.
r There is no royal road to farmi1
IT any more than there is to any 9th
le business. It has to be studied. Th
D. is the point on which Americans eI
I'd They imagine they will get alo1
e. somehow. 1t is different abroad.
re few years ago the country was he
In rified by the murder in Chicago of {
ne Englishman named Preller. The mt
of derer was the man whom he had pa
Id to instruct him in practical farmin
IS The crime called attention to the ia
!" that foreigners consider this calling o