The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-01-16
THE FARMERS INSTITUTE.

fE FRhMEhS' iNSlIiOI {.
The annual session of the Mahaska
County Farmers Institute is now on
at the court house and at other neces-
sary places secured to accommodate
the crowds, and incidentally the large
attendance suggests the needs of a
large coliseum to house the exhibits
and the thousands of people who come
to take part.
Speakers from the agricultural col
lege discuss the scientific side OF
farming. Some of the most success
full farmers in the county give the in
stitute the benefit of their knowledge
and experience, and there are exhib,
its in which all take pride.
The institute is a great educational
factor, and it will do mucn to elevate
the standard and increase the profits
of the farm. 1t affords to the farmer
some of the opportunities held out by
the agricultural schools for his sons,
and it gives him an opportunity TO
keep abreast of the times. Without
such movement the elderly farmer
of today might b. forced to confess
that his college trained son knew more
about the science of agriculture than
he did.
The Farmers and Drovers' Journal
is an advocate of college training for
the farmers son, referring to the mat
ter in an editorial recently as follows:
No field of intellectual endeavor af-
fords so many opportunities for lucra-
tive positions as the scientific study
of agriculture. The four years course
in the principles of biology, physics,
chemistry and the, management of do
nestle animals eQuips, the student for
high-class government position or
an engagement as superintendent OF
some large stock farm.
The graduate student understands
the nature and composition of soils
and knows the kind of farming best
adapted to the estate Being thorough
ly trained, the educated superinten-
uCht hhOWS NOW " lhchdEC NhC Ioi III
as the skilled engineer knows how to
handle his machine.
Not only on the farm, but in the
management of dairies, creameries
and other plants that convert the pro-
duct of the farm into commercial mer
chandise, is there demand for the
agricultural graduate. In no vocation
has there been such an increase in de
mand for trained managers in the past
decade as in the prosecution of agrl
culture. The expansion of instruc,
tiional work at experiment stations
has increased the demand for educa
ted agriculturalists,
There is no avocation more congen
ial than agriculture. 1t promotes
health and longevity. If the graduate
secures government position his
work is assured for lie unless he re
signs his office. 1t is pleasant vo
cation, combining outdoor service
physical and intellectual endeavor
The young man who expects to follow
farming Tor profession VIII ma SUI
preme advantage in accomplishing his
undertaking if he can bring to his
task scientific knowledge of agricul
ture. The young man cannot make a
better investment than to take a four
years agricultural course If he is to
devote his life to husbandry. His
scientific knowledge will equip him
to exploit those branches of husban
dry that pay the largest profits.
And another thing that college
course will do for the young man on
the farm is to make the work easier
for him than it was for his father
He may not make better farmer
than his father, but he will be taught
to profit by the experience OF others,
and will be fitted to make the best
use of his lands by following in a
beaten train, instead of newing out
his own way as the pioneer farmers
OF this section were forced TO do.