The record-union., 1898-12-22
FLORIh FARMERS INSTITUTE
A GOOD ATTENDANCE AND
MUCH INTEREST TAKEN.
Various Questions of Interest to
the Agricultural Community
Discussed.

Yesterday morning was cold, blus-
terlng and very unpleasant Tor rlolils
In the north wind, in spite OF the pflsh'
sun, but there was nevertheless d
good attendance at the Farmers IN
stitute at Florin, the farmers and 1rulI
raisers in a number Of cases coming
for many miles to listen TO the lee
lures and papers by the various speak
ers, and manifesting much interest IN
the Institute
In the afternoon the attendance was
materially increased, and many ladleS
were also present, some of them TAX
ing part in the discussions and asking
questions. Among those present We're:
S. H Jackman and wife, Wm'
Thomas, E. Kilgore, VIM. H. Kennedy
Robert Barmby, E. Hanney, L. f.
French, Benz. Thomas, Mrs. d. Reese
Mrs. A. l.. Whitman, Mrs. NJ. McNle'
o. ]. Evans, Albert Clark, w. w.
Theobald, w. w. SwayZe, Jas. Ruttef,
w. A. Mott, C. E. Mack, Jas. Tootell,
F. P. Gage, Geo. Carlisle and wife,
Peter Thomas, Gillis Doty, Edward
Reese, B. Clark, j. A. Simons, w. II.
Wason, w. o. Davies, T. Z. Davies
o. C. Smith, c. B. Davis, F. T. Robin
son, c. r. Stubbs, A Gunter, Jno-
Reese and wife, j. L. Stubbs, d. ii.
Buell., L. J. Romer and son, Geo. But
Ter, NJ. Sprague, Frank Sprague, &.
Booth, J. P. Brown, Alex Stevenson,
Russell Howell, ]. K. Thomas, c. L.
Buell., c. Mickle, Jas. Jackson, VIM.
r. Taylor, P. Troutman, c. Towle, Geo.
Taylor, VIM. McNair.
The meeting was called to order by
w. A. Mott, who called for nomina-
tions for Chairman.
Senator Gillis Doty was chosen unan-
imously, and said, in taking the
chair, that the University was doing an
excellent work in furnishing instruc-
tors for these Institutes. The farmers
can receive much valuable instruction
through them, and he was sorry they
We're not better attended He hoped
that the time was not far distant
when they would take more interest in
them for the University would do its
part.
Prof. D. T. Fowler spoke on "The
Social and Educational Features of
Farmers Institutes" He said he was
sorry to note the absence of women
at the session, for they are specially
interested in this work. Some of the
best farmers in the State, he had
wishes to aid the farmer in every way
possible, but he was sorry to say that
there are still many farmers who look
on the instruction given as theoretical
only. and that more practical, hard
sense lessons are what they need.
This is not So Science is being more
and more called on to give aid to
persons in all walks of life and the
world is being benefited by it. The
farmer needs it's aid just as much as
the merchant, the manufacturer
and the mechanic. Unfortunately the
farmer does not take up the ideas ad-
vanced to him by science as readily
as the merchant and manufacturer do.
Competition is becoming so strong in
agricultural, as we'll as other lines,
that it has become necessary for the
farmer to not only do as much manual
work as before, but to do much more
of hard work than he has ever done
if he would be successful.
To do this he must take up the
ideas of others. He should, if dis
covery is made in Germany or some
other country that will be of benefit
to him, take it up and apply it to his
own work. There must be an intelli-
gent advance along the lines of pro-
gressive knowledge. For this purpose
these institutes are planned and car
ried on. For this the University, which
belongs to the people of the State, is
doing all in its power to aid the farm
ers. The work being done in the Ag-
ricultural Department of the Univer-
sity is of the most practical kind. He
had found that the farmers are be-
ginning to appreciate that fact When
the fruit grower finds new bug that
IS doing injury to the vines or trees.
they now begin to seek the aid OF
science, not only to determine the spe-
cies, but also to find remedy for 1t.
If trees do not do well in a certain To-
cality and the farmer invokeS the aid
of science. an investigation is made.
Perhaps the quality of water used in
irrigation is found to be the cause of
the trouble. Perhaps it is the quality
of land that is at fault. If an inves-
tigation had been made of all the con-
ditions before the orchards were plant
ed such mistakes could have been
avoided.
There is no State in the Union in
which there are so many problems to
be dealt with as in California. Its
immense area, its variety of soil, its
variations of climate are all things tO
be studied in connection with the farm
if We would do intelligent work. The
time was when it was said that any
fool could be a farmer but that day
is gone, and the farmer who would
avoid failure must bring to his work
a far greater degree of intellectual
force and a fund of practical informa-
ton than a few years ago.
When the farmers begin to take an
interest in the experimental stations
and the knowledge gained by the inves-
LEGATIONS there, they will begin to watch
and ask for information concerning
them and will find the benefit of it
The United States is doing more in aid
of the farmers than any other nation
and the numerous bulletins that are
complied. printed and distributed free
on application will tell them of all tho
information gained by patient inves
tigation and experiment, and enable
them to know what is going on II
other countries as well as this. Again
the sons and daughters of farmers arr
confronted by a different condition
from that which their parents found
Their parents found here virgin