The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-07-19
The Farmers Institute at Clemson.
Editor TIE TINES:

Editor BE LINES:
1t was my privilege to attend g.
part OF the Farmers Institute held
at Clemson College last August. An
other will he held the coming Au-
gust and Clarendon should be rep
resented, not by two as before, but
by two or three dozen.
This was my first visit to Clemson,
and I went not a very enthusiastic
ad!nirer and came away quite the
reverse. Having had some CORES
ponder.ce with the chemical depart
ment, felt that to meet Col. Hardin.
DR.. Bracket, Mr.. Shiver and Mr..
Thompson was to meet friends. 1t
was great pleasure to be conducted
over this extensive laboratory by DR..
Bracket, who showed me among
other things where the water and
fertilizer analyses are made.
To go over all the buildings and
note their various outfits is, as some
one has said, g. veritable exposition.
The Institute, however, was what l
went to see and what | want your
indulgence to write about.
The first lecture l heard was on
Wednesday night by Col. Newman
on Agriculture. 1t was treat to
hear this gray-haired veteran farmer
hold up in such an entertaining and
admirable manner our humble occu-
patton. Col. Newman declared agri-
culture to be 1.-The only business with
a charter direct from the hands of
Cod This high and noble tribute
was echoed by the applause of the
large audience. He is the man you
know who was put out and then put
back. He is necessary to the busi-
ness.
There were lectures on Horticul-
ture and kindred themes by Prof.
DuPre. he is the man who looks
after the gardens, the fruits and the
flowers. 1t is said up there that all
the lady folks are in love with him.
A good thing probably that he also
is a gray-haired veteran. He is the
man who learns you how to bud and
graft fruit trees. He has some
curious freaks of grating at his sta
tion and it is currently reported that
he can graft dogs.
One Of the most interesting leo
lures was one by Prof. Shiver on Nj
trogen or Ammonia in Agriculture.
He had not gone very far when a
farmer, a graduate of Union College,
New York, remarked in an aside:
The darned fool don't know what
he is talking about" A little later
he said: Here, give me pencil, that
is worth taking down."
There were other lectures and lee
turers, the last being on Education
for the Times" by President Hart
zog. This was good and should have
been heard by larger crowd Of far
mers.
All of the lectures wound up with
an invitation to the farmers to ask
questions. In this way was discussed
in an informal way many interesting
subjects. Silos, grasses, manures,
best methods Of accumulating and
keeping stable manure, making COM
post so as to hold ammonia without
frefanging, ETC., etc. Quite a little
fun iDterspersed when some hard
headed old farmer would tackle
professor on some point. In this
way the motions" and experiences
Of practical farmers were exchanged
with each other and the professors,
making it almost impossible not to
learn some new "wrinklen about the
business.
The farmers were bunked in the
barracks and seemed veritable school
boys again, having lots of fun with
their jokes. One big, fat fellow was
tickled to death at a joke he had got
ten on another one about eating up
all the ham. That makes me think
of the fare given the farmers. It was
good. stopped at private house,
but ate with the boys one morning
and had an elegant breakfast. Chef
Schilleter is q good cook.
An object of special interest to me
was the dairy. Here saw the cream
separated from the fresh milk, cream
churned and the butter made and
worked and put up in dainty pack
ages all by student who did not
seem at all fustered, though several
ladies watched him at his feminine (0
work. Professor Hart also iecJured
on the Dairy. In it he was assisted
by a student in whom we hardly
recognized the mixer we had talked
to at the milking shed the afternoon
before
The morning left was invited by
Col. Newman TO take a ride with
him around the big bottom; it was
greatly enjoyed.
The Institute to be held will be
equally if not more instructive.
Every farmer there said that more
would go from their county, and our
county ought to be better represent
ed. 1t don't cost much and I am
sure it will be enjoyed.
| we'll know that lots of our farm
ers think their farming education is
finished, they know it all. But there
are some who have not clinched the
tree Of knowledge so quickly and
easily. Now, both parties should
go-the one to learn, the other to
teach. If any farmer in Clarendon
who knows it ali will go, he will find
gray-haired professors who will read
lily admit they do not, and who
will be willing pupils. Col. Newman
says that on his farm near Atlanta
fresh fruits and vegetables are on
his table every day in the year. Can
any farmer in Clarendon beat that?
And yet we call him "book far
merm Until we who nearly starve
at seasons on the farm for variety Of
table fare can equal that we had best
take to his kind of book farming.
By the way, he remarked in a lee
ture this spring that the only text
book needed in his school room was
the First chapter Of Genesis
No doubt circulars will be sent out
in due time fully describing the com
ing Institute. l will simply repeat
that as many as can should 60. 1t
will do no one any harm, afford a lit
tie outing at very small cost, and
most certainly do the attendant
good.
The teachers Of the State have just
held Teachers Institute. Looking
over the list of attendants we see the
names of the very best teachers Of
the State. They gathered there at