Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1903-02-27
VALUE or rAnMErrs INSTITUTES
An interesting Article Taken From u
Universally Bulletin.

Universally bulletin.
The various State Agricultural Col-
leges and Experiment Stations are pn-
tent factors in the advancement OF
science i'll agriculture, and it Is safe to
say that no department Of their work
is more effective. and productive OF more
direct results thar that Of Farmers
Institutes.
While comparatively new il this
State, they have been carried ON Tor a
number OF years in eastern States and
for some time in our sister State OF CAL
tornia. 1t has been the history Of the
work in every State that. when first be.
gun III any section. it was looked upon
with indifference. coldness and even
suspicion, but that as soon as the farm
ers have realized what these institutee..are
and what their aim If, there has been Il
demand for them. lr most OF the east.
ern States and in California. today, the
demand for these meetings Is SO great
that the farming interests have forced
Legislative appropriations Of large
amounts to carry on the work.
The Farmers Institute is in its i'll
fancy Ill Nevada, for it was but a little
over a year ago that the first institute
ever held in this State WAS held at Elko,
and proved u great success. Others
have been held at Garduerville and
L%nvelocks, and still other dates are ON
the calendar. We nave met the same
difficulty that other states have met be.
fore us-not a GOODNESS and feeling OF
suspicion. iii u case, however. but a
lack OF knowledge of what and why Of
the Institutes. As "A result our first
audiences have not been large, mt this
was to be expected. Each sucr, cding
session OF an Institute brought a larger
audience than had attended the proceed
ing session; for as farmers learned tho
object, and something Of the benefits to
be derived from the discussion they
gladly attended the meetings, so that at
the final session of an Institute we spoke
tn "A full housc-One OF the first things
we have met Is going to teach the
ranchers how to ranch" And the tinga
OF irony with which this is said is very
noticeable. This idea is one OF the
things which initiate against the Iusti.
tutes. Our first duty has therefore
been to show the farmers that it is not
our purpose to pose rs a ~knUw ALL but
that we are carrying on this work for
mutual advadcement-that we 20 to the
farmer, because he has not the time to
come to us; thai We are there to talk
over the great agricultural problems, to
exchange ideas; and that we expect to
receive from these meetings as much rs
We give. The results Of this work IN
Nevada are already apparent in many
ways. The Experiment Station is being
brought into closer contact with those
for whose benefit Congress endows il.
The station stall are meeting the agri-
cultural conditions us they exist. and
are thus enabled to carry on their work
in a much more satisfactory manner.
As we gain the confidence OF the farm
ing communities OF the state. the work
will be far more effective, and We shall
be able to perfect scientific agriculture
and place it upon the high plane winch
it occupies i'll other and older states.
NATHANIEL +. WILSON,
Vice Director and Chemist Experiment
Station.