The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-09-04
FARMERS INSTITUTE HELD
Agricultural Experts Deliver Fine
Speeches at BisLopville.

Bishopville, Aug 31.-The Farm
ers' Institute, under TIE auspices of
the farm demonstration work, of Lee
county, has come and gone, and the
farmers of the county ought TO be
improved if they are not The in
sttute met at Bishopville last Friday
morning at IL O'Clock, and it took
put short time to discover from the
NUMBER OF experts and the range of
their discussion Gas gathered from
state Agent Williams outline of the
ground to be covered i'm his onen;nr
statemenD that there was a big
opportunity for the farmers of the
county. They did not attend as thew
should have, though many more
came than were expected.
These experts stayed here two
days and taught all who wanted to
learn-taught them how to take
short cuts. told them how to solve
those persistent, annoying little prob
lens that are eternally being faced:
told them how to do big things eco
nomically, how to increase the ave-
rage productiveness of the farms.
how to decrease expenses, how to
cultivate on less commercial fertili-
zer, how to prepare, how to fertilize.
how to select seed, how to work the
ha 10 Of
iness was handled by trained, cap
able men, each one having spent
years in experimenting with a sub
Ject before talking about it and gave
to his audience in short, terse state
ments facts that a combination of ed
ucation. patience toll and money
was necessary to unearth. That
locks like opportunity-when the
other fellow does the experimenting.
IL does look as if one would be will
iHg to practice the methods found by
him to be best. But that is just what
the farmer will not do. He must be
from Missouri, for you have to show
him. When he changes a tried plan
he must have more than somebody's
word for it that the new plan is bet
ter than the old one. Hence the
scheme Of demonstration work. 1t
shows him. 1t goes on his farm and
teaches him that he is doing IL
wrong.
1t would be useless to try to cover
the ground covered in these two
days. They ran the whole gamut.
State Agent Ira w. Williams deserves
great credit for the ability with
which he is handling this work in the
State. If his institutes in other coun-
ties have as much genuine merit In
them as was in this one, IL is har.l
TO estimate the good they will accom-
p'ish. No farmer in reach of one
should miss it,
Then the boys demonstration
work, of which Mr.. O. b. Martin Ia
at the head. is a big thing. Their
purpose lis to inspire love for scien-
tif1c farming in the youth and keen
him on the farm, or better, send him
to an agricultural college and bring
him back to tho farm perfectly
equipped. Twenty-seven boys in Lee
County each has his acre, and next
winter or fall they will Rave an ex-
hibition at Bishopville. when their
products will be judged and the
prizes awarded. It doese not take
much sight to see the possibilities OF
that scheme.
Immediately before adjournment
Congressman Lever addressed the
meeting. showing the willingness of
the agricultural department to help
them. The gist of his speech, how
| ever. was expressed in one Of his
epigrams, You want more man and
less mule on the farm" Mr. Lever is
popular over here. and is always
gladly heard on any subject.