Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1900-07-07
Farmers Picnic Institutes.

Farmers Picnic Institutes.
Last summer the Kansas State
Agricultural College made trial
IF holding Farmers Institute meet
ings in connection with p1cnics.
institute picnics were held IN
about twenty-five places during
July, August, and September, and
as rule the attendance was larger
and the interest greater than In
the winter meetings. The attend
ance at these picnic Institutes
varied from one-hundred Fifty to
,ne-thousand, the latter number
attending an institute IN a grove
near the little town of Sibleyville,
where there is only one store, a
blacksmith shop and a skimming
station.
The College force has more time
0 spend at these meeting during
the simmer vacation than when
the students are here, and we hope
to arrange for the holding of at
least 100 of these picnic institutes
Turing the coming summer
months.
a few suggestions for holding
'hese picnic Institutes may be in
order. The College will send 1 or
ID speakers wherever satisfactory
arrangements can be made and
will pay the expense of these speak
ers ang print, free of charge, post
ers advertising the institute. The
community holding the picnic IN
stitute should furnish suitable
grounds, stand and seats. music,
and half the program. In making
up a program, select those subjects
on which the most of the audience
will want information and then
select the men and women in the
community who have had the most
experience in these lines. Every
Kansas farmer has had experience
in raising corn and but few care to
hear paper or an address on corn
raising. but IN almost every local.
itY the farmers are interested IN
some new crop or new method of
field work or feeding, Bring these
out. The ladies should have a full
share in the program. Get all the
music you think will be wanted
and then provide as much more.
Last summer at the different picnic
institutes we had music bv brass
band, organs, pianos, church choir,
individual players Oh the violin,
mandolin and guitar, quartettes,
duets, solos and choruses. 1t was
all enjoyed. The first session of
the institute should be held about
10 A. II This should be follow
ed by a basket picnic, beginning
promptly at noon, and an after
aoon session beginning at 1870 In
rider to secure a successful basket
picnic it is well to have commit
tee OF three or four ladies canvass
the community and arrange with
all their neighbols to bring we'll
Tiled baskets. Every man, woman
md child interested IN farming
-hould be asked to attend. A
stand where lemonade and ice
cream are sold adds greatly to the
comfort of the occasion and can be
made profitable to local church,
'odge, or band organization,
The speakers of the College can
re depended on for two talks each,
and two or three papers or address
from local talent should be pro-
v1ded for each session. Open the
open the afternoon session with a
question box. Have people pre-
Dared to open the discussion which
>houid follow each number of the
program. Ia many places an even
NO session held in a school house
or hail brings an interested crowd.
Have every paper and every adj
iress on some feature uf the farm
'r the farm home, and such an in
stitute will work and at the same
time be full OF fun and enjoyment.
Arrange to hold the institute when
| farm work Is ]east pressing
Applications fGT speakers from
he College to attend tkase picnic
Farmers Institutes should be sant
a month hefeEe the institute is to bel
held. to Farmers, Institute Depart
ment, Agricultural College, Man |
haitian. Kans We sugas.t that
YOU ho.d one of these Jneet,ngs aai
your eo@n8MRitY.