Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1904-03-19
Mississippi State News
The Farmers Institute Movement.

The industrial campaigns that are
being waged each summer by the
Mississippi Agricultural and Me
chanical College can but result i'll
great good to the future agriculture
of the State. This movement is
one Of the most important and one
Of the farthest reaching in its in
iiuence that has ever been undertake
en- by the Agricultural College. 1t
is not only State movement, or y
national movement, but an interna-
tional movement. The department
of agriculture at Washington re-
CARDS the work Of so much impor-
tancc that it has employed man,
w1rU Is known as Farmers lnsti-
tutc Specialist" whose duty it is TO
study this question and to keep in
close touch with the work that is be-
ing done in every State in the
nion, and throughout the civilized
world. Millions of dollars arc
being spent each year to discover
new truths pertaining to agriculture,
and these truths can accomplish
nothing unless used by the people
who are engaged in agriculture.
Mississippi is more Of an agricul-
tural State than any other State in
the Union, and yet less money is
spent here for the development CT
her agriculture than in any other
commonwealth. The farmers of the
State cannot be sidetracked always,
in order to help others who are not
engaged in agriculture, and they are
beginning 10 see that their interest
has been sadly neglected in the past
by men who arc not in sympathy
with agriculture, and who have, as a
result, made no effort in the direc-
tion Of its development. Let one
think of the money that is being
spent each year by those engaged in
the profession of law, in medicine,
in the sciences, and other profes-
sions. and then compare this with
the amount of money spent by the
farmer in preparation for his life
work. One can easily see that the
farmer has problems 10 deal with
that are utterly beyond his power to
solve with his present knowledge Of
agriculture, and where shall he look
for help? Shall he look TO the law
Yer for information, or to the mer-
chant, or to the banker, or to the
manufacturer? No. lie has never
been able to get any information,
that will help him in his business,
from any other source other than
the experiment stations, depart
ments of agriculture, and the agri
cultural colleges of the country.
These institutions have solved prob
lens that have saved the farmers
many millions of dollars, and they
will help him in the future.
During the past two years, there
has been held under the supervision
of the Agricultural College one hun
dred and eighty farmers institutes,
more than $4,000 farmers.
An effort was made to give every
county an institute, but on account
of limited means, all could not be
reached. Plants are being made to
still further broaden the work of the
farmers institute, by organizing in
every supervisors district a perma-
nent farmers institute club, that
should meet from time TO time dur
ing the year, to study the bulletins
issued by the State experiment sta
iions; and representatives from
these clubs should organize perma-
nent county farmers institute to
meet at least once a year at some
suitable place, TO which meeting the
Agricultural College will send men
10 make addresses upon subjects per-
tanning to the diiferen; lines of agri-
culture that may be desired by the
county club. From these courty |
,lubs, representatives should be sent
to the State Farmers Institute.
which is held at the close of the sea
son at the Agricultural and Me-
College, where they may |
ook over the different experiments
N operation and become personally |
acquainted with the professors Of
hat institution and with the Off
'ers of the experiment station.
These institutions and their work |
ire not appreciated by the farming |
public at their full value because Of |
ack of information on the part of |
he farmers of the service that they |
re rendering to agriculture in this
Many farmers, unfortu~
,atcly. do not read the agricultural
literature prepared by the Agricul-
ural College and experiment sta
ion. and are, therefore, almost en-
ircly ignorant of the efforts that
Ire being made to assist them.
New Industries.
Tbo wool iust nassa1 haS hooO