The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-01-01

stock, milk, butter, beef, pork and
wool, and the production of manure.
Some of the influences that have
brought about this change are due to
the Agricultural and Mechanical
College, to the Experiment Station,
and to work of the State Agricul-
tural Department, through farmers
insti tutes, etc. The farmers are tax
ing more and more interest in the Col
lege, and instead of ridiculing the
idea Of an agricultural education,
they are growing proud of this insti
tuition. The number of students is
increasing year by year, and those
who apply for admission are more
anxious than ever for instruction
along agricultural lines.
They are beginning to appreciate
the fact that if farmer competes
with educated men in other caIlings,
he toe must be educated in his work.
These students are not only anxious
for Il college education, but they are
also eager for the practical instruc-
tiOn that they can obtain at the Col
lege. The College offers to the farm
students regular four years course
leading to the degree of Bachelor of
Agriculture. In this course the stu
dents get a good college education
along with the instruction of agri-
culture and horticulture In their
freshman year they take also the
cream of the mechanical course. For
those students who have but little
time and money to spend at the Col
lege, there is a two years course,
condensing the most important part
of the four years course into two
years.
There is still another class of stu
dents in the State who can spend but
few weeks at college, and for their
benefit the 10 weeks course was in
stit!Ited. In this course the elemen-
tary subjects are taught, and the
most practical lectures are given. In
all of these courses practical work is
an important feature. In addition
to their practical work, students are
given all the regular work possible
in the barn and on the farm. Thus
the student has been kept in touch
the farm while getting his college
education, and in years to come the
result will far surpass the highest
expectations Of the founders of the
institution.
The State has been much benefited
by experiment. station work. This is
not so apparent in individual cases,
but taking it over the whole State,
for many years, the work shows for
itself. 1t seems a small matter to
some to teach a farmer to raise five
| bushels of corn to an acre more than
he formerly did; to teach him to
grow a few more bushels of potatoes,
or how to raise hogs for home use.
Individually this would seem of but
little benefit, but in the aggregate,
with the large number that are in
/ fluenced over the State to do these
things, the extra profit soon mounts
up to hundreds of thousands of dol
| lars. Then again, it should be borne
in mind that when one farmer gets
help or instruction, from the expert
ment station, he acts as a kind Of re-
f1ector, giving off this light in his
! neighbOrhOOd.
! The farmers institutes, carried on
by the State Departmen of Agricul-
ture in connection with the Profess
ors of the College of Agriculture,
have been of untold benefit. The
very fact of getting the farmers to-
gether in different sections, and en-
cOuraging them to talk over their
best methods, and to write papers on
leading agricultural topics, discuss
ing ways and means of improving
| their farm conditions, and farm life,
must of necessity be Of great advan-
| tage. The usual order of procedure
is as follows: Adver tising the meet
ing and getting a crowd together,
the election of chairman and secre-
tary, appointing a committee on
programmes, and then the discussion
of topics, reading of papers, and an
swering of questions. The meeting
usually lasts about two days, with
both night and day sessions. WO-
men are invited and one or two of
! the sessions are set aside for the dis
oussion of subjects in which they
are particularly interested. The
farmers often form a permanent or
ganization at the close of the meet