Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-07-23


Director of the Experiment Station tina
the time and place of meeting may b,
fixed, a programme arranged, and thu
= meeting duly advertised.
1t is our desire to have these meeting.
where they will be most convenient for
a large number of farmers to attend and
where they will do the most good. We
are of the opinion that it will be best,
for this season, TO have only n day
, meetings, but wherever it is desired to
! have a two days session the same will be
provided for. We further think that,
as a rule, these meetings should be held
in the rural districts, some central place
being selected and a basket lunch or din,
ner being served. No effort should be
made to have a barbecue, or otherwise
make the dinner the attractive feature,
as it brings a lot of worthless material
that comes for no other purpose than to
get a good dinner, aud this always de-
tracts from the success of an institute.
By having a modest basket dinner, far.
mers fir IN several communities may at
tend the same institute and return home
late in the afternoon without much
trouble. The institute should begin by
O'Clock in the forenoon and close about
Tor 8 in the afternoon, stopping an hour
FIR lunch at noon. We suggest this as
at least one plan that might be followed
for holding the institutes in rural dis
tricts, and we recall a number of places
where this method should enable a large |
number Of farmers and their wives to
attend without serious Inconvenience.
Indeed, the day might easily be made
a very pleasant as well as profitable one.
As a rule ladies are not in the habit Of
attending these institutes, though it
seems that they would and it may be
well to mention here that ladies com.
posed at least me half the audience at
much the best one which we have ever
seen held in the state. Whether this
plan, or some other, be found best, in
our effort to organize these institutes.
so they will reach the greatest number
and do the most good. we hope to re.
ceive the prompt and hearty co-opera.
ton Of all those who would increase the
agricultural wealth Of the state, and
further improved systems of farming,
as well as make the living in our coun.
try homes better and more attractive.
1t is desirable to hold most of these
Institutes during August and Septem.
Der, and to fix the date of each so that
the institute conductors may go from
one to the next nearest one. If this
much system is to be introduced into the
work this year, all institutes will have
to be arranged for promptly but this
may be done if all communities wishing
an institute will correspond with us con.
celning the same, at once.
Prof. BENZ, Irby, a former professor
OF agriculture at the college, has been !
employed to hold these institutes and he
will be assisted in the work by members
of the faculty and sta ion staff.
1t is hardly necessary to commend
these institutes to the farmers of the
No ono knows all about farming
and everybody can learn something from ]
some n else, Probably in no other
place is practical information, of a kind {
needed by a particular community. dis.
pensed more literally than at a live in.
where the farmers themselves ,
participate in all the discussions. An i.
is an experience meeting, and
g experience is the best teacher. And
Just now, when there is a general dispo
sition to grow more grass aud produce ,
more forage crops, tohave good pastures /;
md good stock, to improve and build up s
'ur worn out soils, to improve the wa.
er conditions of soils and cultivate
70 as to conserve the soil moisture that
'ur crops may suffer less from drouth, a
t seems particularly opportune that h
these meetings should be organized
nd it makes them of the greatest prac- i,
lcal Importance to our far mers, for at :,
hem much reliable and valuable infor. y
may be obtained on these and :.
ther equally important subjects. -
The yield Of crops in this state is very
a question Of water supply, and
e who best controls the water in his soil n
makes the surest and largest crops. In :,
o other part of the country, perhaps, N
o restorative crops increase the produc- n
Iveness OF soils 6 much as here. One 7
rop of melilotus has increased the pro. :,
u~ctlveness of a piece of our worn out
ralrle soil to where it made a bale per ;,
ere. 1t is an easy matter to provide
God pastures for ten or eleven months
/ the year. Our farmers are raising
and grade Jersey beef, for which =,
ley receive from four to ten dollars per
cad, while our friends in the northwest h
row steers that weigh from a thousand 70
fifteen hundred pounds and sell at five :,
per pound, or fifty to seventy five T
ollars per head. We can't afford to -
Use two cent beef while other farmers :,
'ise five cent beef. Three pounds of ~ =.
.'ttonseed meal. in the ration of a dairy 3
and from four to eight pounds in nj
le ration of a beef steer, make n of -,
Re best and cheapest feeds that is known :
It the price of our seed and meal con-
nues to be governed by and is based
'lely on their fertilizing values. Sure in
+, it will help us to meet and discuss to
lese things and get all the information ua
e can concerning them. Other states pc
these institutes of very great value i, 10
I'd appropriate thousands of dollars an
tally for their support. Those who on