The herald., 1897-04-25
Today nearly all the states hold insti-

tutes, and appropriate from one or two
| thousand dollars to $4,000 or $4,000 tc
carry on the work. Usually the institutes
are very popular. the most so where they
are we'll organized and where they are
conducted at largest expense.
In 1885, Ontario, Cenada. organized Its
series of institutes. The promoter was
DR.. James Mills, president of the Ontario
Agricultural college. DIR. Mills thor
oughly investigated the institute plans
of the several states. The first yeal
twelve were held, the next twenty-six
in 1887, forty, 1888, sixty, and so on till
in 1894 one hundred and seventy were
held. and in 1896 there were over three
| hundred institutes held with an average
attendance Of over three hundred. Three
| experts attend each institute and their
work is supplemented by papers from
able practical men of the locality. This
shows that the Wisconsin system which
costs much with the Michigan type of a
program really gives the best success
and receives the most favor.
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTES
In our own state Farmers institutes
have been carried on since 1881. There
has never been any special state appro-
Pi LII this Pdi POSS' iiS otA4'S say
of California has conducted the work.
and met the expenses out of it's funds.
The work is Immediately under the direc-
tion of DIR. E. w. Hilgard, the very able
head of the College of Agriculture, and
has for manager Prof. E. j. Wickson,
who is both scholarly and practical, and
so is admirably adapted to the work.
over fifty Institutes have been held in
. +afa e;,,oa 1oe T,,1x- @f
about $4,000. The movement is very pop
ular, and so great was the call, which
was entirely spontaneous. that the re-
gents resolved to borrow money to carry
on the work, which they did about year
ago.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The farmers institutes have been held
in Southern California for about six
years. Some of the earliest were very
successful but for the most part, owing
to lack of preliminary work, the attend
ance was disappointing, and as only one
institute was held at time, the expense
was inordinate. About three years ago
the writer was appointed to take imme-
diate charge of the work in Southern
California. This led to more thorough
organization, to such preliminary work
as would insure excellence in program
and large attendance, and by planning
to hold three in the same week in locali-
ties not very distant from each other, the
expense attending the meetings was
greatly reduced. AS we have seen in the
resume of institute work in the United
States there are three types. In the
first, represented by Wisconsin, Mime
sofa and New York, experts. imported
from abroad, give all the instruction.
This is very expensive, not likely to be
entirely suited to the locality, but is al
most sure to be of very high order In
the second, nearly all the papers come
from the locality. Indiana illustrates
this type. The expense is light. the pa
pers likely to be severely practical and
local in cast, but to lack some
what in ability and scientific
trend and precision. In the third type
we have the golden mean-about half
the papers from local talent and half
by experts and scientists. This is inter-
mediate as to expense, is exemplified in
the Michigan scheme, and seems on the
whole, the wisest plan. 1t is the msthod
which has been adopted in our Southern
California institutes.
There have now been held under this
new regime thirty-one institutes in
Southern California, as follows: Two in
Santa Barbara county, four in Ventura
county, seven in Los Angeles county,
four in San Bernardino county, five in
Riverside county, three in Orange coun-
ty. and six in San Diego county. There
is rarely an attendance of less than 70
at any session, while in some cases the
attendance has reached to 400 and even
to 600
1t has been the aim to hold about
twelve institutes each year, three a
week for four weeks. One series is held
in December, one in April one in July
and one in September. About four weeks
before the institute transpires the man.
ager meets with large committee at the
place where the institute is to be held,
and then a tentative program is ar
ranged. The papers from the locality
about one-half-are called for from per-
sons who have been eminently success
full in some branch of farm or orchard
economy. Domestic matters and the
home are usually presented by ladies'
Committees on arrangements, on ex-
hibts and decorations on entertainment
and on music are provided. The music,
decoration of hall and exhibits are usual
ly of surprising excellence. Each in
stitute holds five, occasionally six, ses-
sions, commencing at the afternoon and
on the second evening. The
manager acts as president Of the insti-
tute, but there are local vice presidents
that may be called to preside at the
pleasure of the president. An effort is
made to secure the publication of the
papers read, as widely as possible.
The popularity of the movement is evil
denced by the fact that the manager has
constantly on hand a score or more of
urgent invitations for institutes and is
receiving them. 1t is the de-
sire and aim of the university to so plan
the holdings that all localities shall fare
equally well. Riverside and Redlands
are the only localities that have had
two institutes as yet, and they have
been separated by nearly or quite two
years. There is always one, sometimes
two, and rarely three, present from the
College of Agriculture at Berkeley to
give the latest from the domain of sci
entific research. as carried on at the uni
versity or elsewhere.
FARMERS CLUBS
A new and most promising outcome of
the farmers institute movement of
Southern California-and, so far as we
know, ii is peculiar to Southern Califor-
nia-is the establishment of farmers
clubs. Effort is made at each institute,
so far with almost universal success, to