The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-19
F 0rnning
Institutes
BY Professor E. J. Wieksop.

- present time the most prominent
means of university extension in
agricultural lines in the United
States and Canada. Nearly all the
States provide for them, generally as a
stated branch Of the work of the State
universities and colleges of agriculture,
and under the direction of these insti-
tutions. When other control is provid-
ed, as is the case in few States, the
professional agricultural instructors
are still a prominent factor in the
prosecution of the work.
Systematic effort for the advance
ment of agriculture through dissemina-
ton of accurate knowledge of condi-
tions, means and materials has pro-
ceeded in this country in three main
lines: % The establishment of agri-
cultural colleges; (2) the establishment
of agricultural experiment stations; CD
the promotion of farmers institutes
and other methods of university extern
sion and agriculture. Each of these
progressive steps is related to the
others; each enricheS and promotes the
work of the others. Taken together
they promise, when each is brought to
its highest development, to constitute
complete system for the efficient pro-
motion of agriculture, both as a sci
ence and as an art, and to advance
the agriCulturist as the nature of his
calling demands.
Briefly characterized, the needs and
the opportunities of the three agencies
indicated above are these: The agricul-
tural colleges needed pupils and need
ed also actual experimental truth about
agriculture. Without popular recogni-
ton of their possession of the latter,
they could not secure the former. The
work of the experiment stations dis
closed great volumes of truth which,
in amount and practical Importance,
surprised even the investigators them
selves. Evidently current agricultural
practice needed revision as to its tenets
and its methods. This truth pressed
for announcement through college
work, but pupils were few and the out
let inadequate. 1t found utterance
through every means of publication,
and the reading agricultural public was
aroused and melted to better and more
profitable practice. The more intelli-
gent agriculturists were wonderfully
assisted but the great mass of produce
erS was unreached. Free public as
! sembly and entertaining speech dem
onstrated their ability to outstrip the
printed word in commanding popular
attention. The applicability of the
truth to public need was demonstrated
IN higher market returns for more val
liable products, and in more economi-
cal production of them. General recog-
milton of this fact created a demand
for still wider declaration of the truth
Popular interest in college and expert
ment station increased and practical
men, who had secuted the teaching of
the instructor in agricultural science,
began to listen, to weigh his words, and
to think for themselves in lines he
marked out for them.
The farmers Institutes afforded the
| opportunity for instructors and prac-
teal men to meet face to face; the in
vitation to discuss all propositions free
ly and frankly and in the plainest
terms brought the teacher and the
farmer side by side on the same plat
form of mutual interest and cordiality,
and each recognized the others love of
| truth and hatred Of error. The agri-
culturist began to discern as never be-
fore the scope of his calling, and it's
relation to higher industrial and scien-
tific thought, and began to aspire to an
understanding of that thought. His in
terest in college and station increased:
his support of them became more ear
nest and pointed as it began to rest
upon actual understanding of their
| particular value, and not upon gener-
alities and platitudes.
These statements will, it is hoped,
make it plain that there is the closest
inter-relationship between the college,
the station and the public assembly of
agriculturists. All are clearly factors
in agricultural education, and each is
dependent upon the other in the quest
of truth in agricultural science and
practice, and in demonstration of it for
the public benefit. For this reason all
are entitled to place in the system of
university education and not to pro-
vide for all is to close plain avenues for
university progress in public esteem
and valuable achievement The farm
ers' institute is but larger class room
of the university. AS its work proceeds
by declaration of the results of original
investigation; as it provides for dis
cussion of these results by both teacher
and pupil, and as it requires, usually,
stated preparation of his own contribu-
ton to the conference on the part of
the farmer, it aligns itself at all points
with customary methods of university
instruction and deserves recognition as
work of university grade. 1t is not the
! elementary work of the school, nor the
prescribed work of the college, it rises
at once by its very nature and by vir-
tue of the advanced standing of those
who participate in it, to the very high
est themes and to the frontiers of the
sciences involved in its special indus
try. 1t is clearly Of university charac-