The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-24
YEARS. RECORD
OF INSTITUTES
Noteworthy Advance Made by
Oklahoma Farmers.
THEY STUDY THE SOIL
T a k e Counsel in Frequent
Meetings in Each County.

Guthrie, o. T, Jan. 23.-There has been
a most noteworthy manifestation Of in
terest on the part OF the farmers in gen.
eral throughout Oklahoma in the Farm
ers' Institute movement this year-an in.
terest quite out OF all proportion with any
that has heretofore been shown. This
is a large measure due to the enthus-
iastic and well ordered efforts of Secre-
tary Of Territorial Board of Agriculture,
j. B. Thoburn. who has been ably as
sisted in his, work by the other officers
sof the board: Ewers White. of Shawnee,
president; ]. H Seamans, of Grimes.
vice-president; j. o. Thomas of Tonkawa,
treasurer. The other members of the
board are Governor T. B. Ferguson, ex-
oficio Horace J. Newberry, of Kiowa
county r. Kliener, of Oklahoma coun-
ty, and E. j. Murphy, OF Custer county.
This board will hold its annual meeting
In Guthrie on February SIP in joint ses
sion with the Improved Livestock Breed
ers' association Of the territory and the
Territorial Horticultural society.
AS q result OF the efforts Of the agri-
cultural board through its secretary and
other officers and the renewed interest
on the part of the farmers, there was dur
ing the season just closed, an organization
Of farmers institute perfected in each
county of the territory besides number
Of local institutes, probably fifteen in
number. There are few laggards among
those institutes: their spirit having mani
tested itself by the well attended meet
ings. the splendid collection of the farm
products gathered for the use of the Ok
lahoma World Fair commission, and
the genuine interest manifested in the
discussion of methods for improved farm
ing. Members of the Territorial Agricul-
tural board have attended almost every
meeting, as have also specialists from the
experiment station at saltwater, and by
these men the very latest improvements
IN agricultural and horticultural methods
have been brought home to the farmer.
In speaking of these institutes and the
good accomplished by them, Secretary
Thoburn said:
1.-The farmers institute has become
recognized as an efficient means of e
lightenment in the most progressive agri-
cultural communities throughout the
United States. Originating less than a
third of century ago, its spread during
the past fifteen years has been rapid
and its influence has been both permanent
and beneficial Wherever the farmers
institute has been established and main
tanned by the proper spirit, good results
have followed. The scope of the agricul-
tural colleges and experiment stations.
which were founded for the purposes of
technical education and scientific re-
ficenoe of the federal government, has
been supplemented and greatly widened
by the extension work of the farmers
institute. The usefulness Of these insti-
tutiens has thus been increased. not only
by attracting the attention and securing
the support Of practical farmers but also
by being drawn into q closer and more
sympathetic relationship with the import
ant class for the promotion OF whose
interests they were established
Hitherto farmers Institutes have been
held in but few communities in Oklaho-
ma. Their existence has necessarily been
sporadic and without system. The mem
bers of the faculty of the Agricultural
and Mechanical College and Of the staff
of the Agricultural Experiment station
have aided as far as possible. but the
expense incident to attending meetings
in distant parts of the territory without
any previously arranged itinerary for
a continuous series of such meetings was
SO great as TO be almost prohibitory The
Board OF Agriculture, being directly
charged with the supervision Of the coun-
ty farmers institute system. undertook
to hold one or more institute meetings
in each of the twenty-siX counties OF the
territory during the closing season No
effort has been spared 10 make these
meetings of real and practical benefit
to those who attended 1t is perhaps well
to state in this connection that neither
the representatives of the board of ag-
riculture, nor those of the college of ex-
pertinent station who were detailed for
duty in attending these institute meetings
did SO for the purpose of airing their
eioquence or displaying their knowledge
and the same may be said of any special
lecturers whose attendance has been Sc
cured. Their presence rather indicated
that they were animated b. the truly
commendable spirit Of striving to be help
full