The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-05-15
rAvoRs FARMERS INSTITUTES.

takes issue with an implied criticism" |
of farmers institutes in an article pub
lished a few days ago upon Teaching |
Agriculture at the Farm" He assures
the public, through a letter written in
defense Of the farmers institute, that
there is an appreciable waste of time
in welcoming addresses, responses and
remarks by prominent citizens upon
these occasions.
Farming, as everyone knows, who
knows anything about it, is an intense
ly practical vocation. The fragrance ,
of the new mown hay has been sung
by poets reclining in the shade of the
haycock, but the placing of the haycock |
was an intensely practical proceeding, |
through all of it's preliminary stages up
to the browning achievement Of round
ing it out so that it might shed to some
extent the sudden downpour of rain
from a summers cloud The golden,
billowy wheat, undulating in the sum-
mer air. is a picture fair to look upon,
but the blowing and narrowing and I
sowing and rolling which preceded this
stage were intensely practical incidents
of a strenuous pursuit, while further
strenuous labor will be required before
"the golden grain is poured into the
expansive lap OIL COIuHlerCe
To the extent that the farmers insti-
tute, with it's high sounding words of
welcome and response relieves the
monotony Of the intensely practical side
Of agricultural pursuits, it is a welcome
adjunct to life on the farm. DR.. Witty
combe assures the public further that it
is the very best means that is employed
for introducing reforms in agricultural
q r.
al college and experiment station. This
is upon his showing altogether probable
since it brings the farmers of wide
district in touch with one another, and
through the opportunity afforded for
discussion promotes an exchange Of
ideas upon topics in which all are inter-
ested.
Time was, as many remember, when
it was supposed that farming came nat
urally to a boy born on farm and that
housework and cooking came to farmers
girls by intuition. That presumption,
though outdated by common experience
in life, still obtains in many rural dis
tricts. Surprise is felt that farmers
boys do not like farming and are awk-
ward and unsuccessful in the attempt
to make things grow and that girls,
starting out to cook and do housework,
concoct strange messes for the table and
are without practical knowledge in TAX
ing care Of furniture and in other de-
tails of modern housewifery. The sug-
gestion that these boys and girls have
not been taught is resented as ref1ec-
ton upon their intelligence and perhaps I
upon the home life in which they were
born and reared.
The ambitious lad, we'll grown and
fairly educated who applied for work in
q wholesale grocery store and was asked
If he had had experience in the work
sought, stated the case simply when he
replied, ''No, I was not born with ex-
perience; I am out to try and get some"
Had he applied for farm work, his size
and strength would alone nave been tax
en- into consideration and he would have
been set down as a dullard, had he not
been able to take any work that came
to hand and perform 1t in a creditable
manner.
To a considerable extent this condi-
ton Of affairs has passed away Farm
ing, in theory at least, has been taken
from the catalogue of plodding drudg-
cry and placed in that Of a vocation in
which success depends not more upon
industry than upon knowledge. The
farmers institute is the outgrowth OF
this movement-supp1eme as DR..
Withycombe tells us, Of the work of
the agricultural college ana the govern
ment experiment station. This being
true, it Is an institution that has an I'M
portant place in the evolution of the
science Of agriculture and farmers
should make 1t a point of conscience,
looking to the advancement Of their vo-
cation and interests to see that the boys
and girls Of their households attend as
we'll as themselves.