Evening journal., 1904-03-29
FARMERS INSTITUTES.
Young, Growing and Influential,
they Teach an All Important Art.
BY b. BENJAMIN. JR.

they Teach an All Important Art.
BY b. BENJAMIN. JR.
Washington, ID. C.-The importance
and extent Of the farmers institute
movement In this country received rec
ognition by the government last year
and were brought more prominently to
general notice than ever before by the
establishment Of new Office in the
Office Of experiment stations that was
devoted to the duty Of assisting the
farmers institute workers Of the Unit
ed States. To the charge of third office
Hon. John Hamilton was appointed
under the title of farmers institute
specialist" There are probably many
people, however, even among the farm
ers who still know little or nothing OF
farmers institute work and the object
Il seeks to accomplish. AS to what the
farmers institute ought TO be and
what 1t ought to strive to do Specialist
Hamilton has said:
There was a time when the insti-
tutc meeting was selected as an ap-
propriate place for some agricultural
pessimist to preach a funeral sermon.
That day is past. The new gospel Of
agriculture is one Of good news-of
deliyerance from ignorance. supersti-
tion and MEDIEVAL ways-and the true
minister I'm this service is a hopeful,
helpful and enthusiastic nan. The OBJ
/ ject is, In short, 10 educate not only
the farmers, but the race, in the fun
damental principles that underlie the
all important art Of producing animals
and crops. II is the agency for dis
seminating information in agriculture
that the platform is in molding public
sentiment in political campaigns. 1t is
the complement Of the educational
forces now organized for uplifting ag-
riculture in the United States" {
Enthusiasm In Michigan.
Michigan reports a total attendance
at Institutes for the year 19O2-03 Of
100000 Of whom 6OOOO attended two
days meetings The amount Of money
expended was the state fund Of $500.
Ten thousand copies of an institute re-
port Of $50 pages were published. The
number of state speakers on the in
stitute force was 100. For several
years the largest attendance at one day
Institutes has been secured in small
villages in the center OF a thickly set
tied farming community, and the great
difficulty has been found in securing a
hall OF a church sufficiently large to ac-
commodate the crowd. While this is
most common with the one day inst-
tutes, which are held FOR the most part
in villages, a similar difficulty has been
found during the year at a number OF
the two day institutes. In only one
state, Kansas, do government statis-
tics for 1902-03 give a larger average
attendance than in Michigan, the fig
ures being: Kansas 499; Michigan, 4O7.
Women's Institutes.
This is an age Of organizations, and
In Canada a feature is being made of
womens Institutes, because, though the
men and women Of farms have many
interests in common, there are times
when the subjects discussed are not
equally interesting
The department Of agriculture gives
each women's institute $40 a year, and
each also receives SO from either the
farmers institute or the county council,
in some cases from both, thus giving il
something TO start with.
Another source Of revenue is the year
II excursion TO the agricultural college.
Each farmers institute has an exeur-
sion during the month OF June. The
women's institute receives some proper
ton Of the funds provided. Each mem
Der pays a membership fee of 25 cents
a year This is within the reach of
every one and gives all some interest
in the institute They belong to it.
Successful Institute work.
one of the. secrets OF success in in
stitute work has been in the practical
character Of the work done. In the
great majority of cases the teachers at
farmers Institutes thus far have been
practical men and women, who have
put their heart and soul into 1t simply
for the good Of the cause. President
Salta Of the American Association OF
Farmers Institute Workers character
lies the work as ''young, growing and
influential"
Farm Under the boil weevn Act.