The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-03-07
HOME STUDY FOR THE FARMER.

more than hundred subjects from
which to select.
Free instruction and examination.
Free lectures from the leading cX-
ports in the country.
free samples, gathered from all
pa"ts of the world.
These are some of the inducements
winch Uncle Sam, i'm connection with
several state institutions, is offering in
his great university extension course
lnssclcnt!Iic agriculture.
Some few people may still cherish
the dcluSion that the average farmer
Is an unsOphlshcatcd individual, who
rarely gets the worth of his money and
Is always ON the market for Il bargain
in the gold brick line. Uncle Sam
makes no such mistake. lie knows
not only that the farmer is the most
important man in the community. but
that modern farmers are as keen and
as progressive as any other class of
business men.
AS proof OF the farmers importance
Uncle Sam has only TO refer to the
yearly balance sheets of his business
with foreign countries.
In 1899, for instance, people who
live abroad bought farm products from
iuclc sam to the amount of $50, ,O0O,-
900, while all the rest OF his foreign
trades counted up only SlGO, 900.
That explains the motto OF the great
seal Of the agricultural department at
| Washmgton: "Agrculturc is the
! foundation of manufacture and com
! mcrCc.n
As proof of the progressive spirit Of
/ the modern Tanner il is only necessary
| TO point to the fact ;hat moro than
. $4,000 farmers are already enrolled in
. the new courses in scientific agricul-
lurc, while hundreds OF thousands
more have done sCmc reading along
the lines laid down.
Lawyers, doctors, manufacturers and
business men must make their own
experiments, must buy their own text.
books, must study out for themselves
new methods and valuable improve
mcutS. Only the farmer has ali these
things done for him by the national GOV
crnmcnt ami by the authorities OF scv
Cral states.
Once more the gentleman with tho
long gray whiskcrs and the single sus
ncndCr has the laugh on his better
dressed and sclfsatislicd brothers in ih,
biz cities. They, no doubt, arc wei
come TO supcrCllliouS smile at hi.
expense, while he gets his university
/. education at theirs.
} At the total cost Of postal card ANY
farmer can not only get himself Gnrolle,
as student in Il course of scientific
agriculture, but he can secure, if hC
shows sufficient interest, personal at
tcntiCn at the hands Of famous prolcs
sors, and regular supply of the late
est books, sent him free Oi charge 70
postage
LIN fact, in New York State, at least
the managers of the farmers rCadin.
courses even 90 further than tha,
Men are actually hired to 20 out int,
the country and bee the farmers TO talk,
advantage OF the opportunities whicl
! are freely offered them.
The university extension idea in az
riculturc, al least as national move
mcnt is comparatively new, and il.
work has been done SO quietly that few
people, especially IN large cities, art
even aware Of It's existence.
The dircctot Of the Agricultural En-
pcrimcntal Station OF Pcnnsyivani;
was among the first TO suggest the plan
of home study courses in agriculture
Nine years ago the first experiment
was made. Textbooks were iurnishc,
TO all applicants and examinations wcr,
conducted whenever the students wei,
ready to take them.
Later, pamphlets were printed an,
distributed, bringing the textbooks W
TO date ana outlining practical expert
mGnts, which the farmer students wcr,
asked to try. Last year 3,Il6 pupils
, were enrolled III these correspondence
courses in agriculture, and more than
100 examination papers were cXanin
ed and marked. The students live in
nearly every state in the union, witt
Il few in Iorcigl countries. Most o.
the students are men of mature ace
the ages running from ID to IS years
the average being 33 ycals.
In Michigan the movement is eight
years old. There alc five classes: (l
Soils and crops; (2) livestock; CD gar
den and orchard: (D woman's course;
(5) political science. Any three oI
these classes constitute course. On
the completion of each book an cN.
amiualion is held, and if satisfactory
Il certificate is issued. On the com.
plClion of Il course, with satisfactory
examination papers, Il diploma is is.
sued to the student, signed by the
president of the agricultural college
The largest and most successful course
ol all is that managed by Cornell I'm
ivcrsity at Ithaca. Though it is Only