Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-03-15

OAhOS vi IuSulult w OIh.-1ue CO.
dial support various states give to tn
farmers institutes indicates a genera
interest in the promotion of agriculture
a few suggestions may aid in adyan(
ing the work.
Local committees of limited expert
ence too often attempt to populariz
the sessions by giving too much tim
to speculative and theoretic discussion
preaching" SO to speak The stat
lecturer is usually loaded with an hou
OF goody-gOody eXhOrtation, which i
attractive on victims during the even
ing session. This may be interesting
but much more interesting and profit
able hour would be had by the state
speaker conducting a Weu-prepared
INTERROGATION on a variety of interest
ing subjects seyerally 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 humor
set forth in the best possible style
under a Skillful conductor, would keep
the audience on tip-toe expectancy, and
at the same time impress beneficent
knowledge. 1t requires tact and ability
on the part of the state man, obyiates
sermons, calls out the best practical
local talent, and furnishes very inter
eSnng reports for the agricultural press.
Again, to reverse this exercise, assign
one or two farmers especially interested
in the topic the state speaker is to dis
cuss, to prepare list Of pertinent que
rleS on the same, as we'll as to conduct
the discussion by leading out modest
1ntellects 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 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 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 it's 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.
The state speakers cannot always
measure an audience of hard-headed
farmers by the applause they may re-
ceive, 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 enliven. As in all
public enterprises, there are always
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, cOnSiderate and intelligent man
her, thus promoting the uplift of hus-
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 d. *.
K. in New York World. A man who
has failed to make d success in the
city retires to the country, buys OF
rents farm and sets to work to run
it in utter Ignorance of the funda-
mental principles of the calling he has
adopted. The same man would laugh
at any one who bought a book expect
ing to read it without having learned
his alphabet. Yet he does precisely the
same thing. The A B C's of farming
have to be mastered thoroughly, and
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 to
those who are known to be expert
Ell ced farmers and certain regulations
are laid down to prevent the exhaus-
ton of the soil. That is the reason
why we do not hear there of wornout
farms, though the Land has been under
cultivation for centuries. The fertility
Of the soil has been preserved by
means of a regular rotation Of crops
and by keeping of a liberal amount
of stock. The latter point is the one
most neglected in this country. The
purchaser of a farm in America is apt
to spend his last dollar in increasing
the amount of his land, so that he
Us left without the means to stock it.
This is the worst blunder he could pos
sibly make. 1t would be far better to
rent the land and own the stock. Old
country farmers have learned this by
experience, and that is the reason why
they are generally successful when they
come here. The area of their farms
IS usually smaller than that Of the
Americans, but they have more stock
and it is better handled.
There is no royal road to farming
any more than there is to any other
business. 1t has to be studied. This
is the point on which Americans err.
They imagine they will get along
somehow. 1t is different abroad. A
few years ago the country was hor-
rified by the murder in Chicago of an
Englishman named Preller. The muir
derer was the man whom he had paid
to instruct him in practical farming.
The crime called attention to the fact
that foreigners consider this calling one
to be learned like law or medicine