The Southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1895-1909, 1909-07-17
Make the Farmers Institutes Help You.

Institutes are well organized and we'll attended
the farmers are getting more prosperous? have
noticed this because have lectured at Institutes
in twelve different States. and have noted the
methods IN various States
Where there is thorough State organization
and support. and the institutes are under the al.
recton OF man who takes the field and controls
the Institutes and prevents their degenerating In.
to mere neighborhood entertainments tho insti.
tutes have become a great power In the improve.
ment Of the agriculture OF the State
In others where there IN plenty OF money and
iairly good organization the popular man in tho
institute work is the man vhn can tell tho most
funny anecdotes. and the county organizations arc
not controlled by the Director who STAYS I'm his
Office. and school girl recltaiions. comic singers
and phonograph concerts use up time that should
be employed in the discussion OF practical matters
OF Importance 10 farmers. In other States the
county manager of Institutes f. merely given a
certain amount Of money for expenses and gets
what speakers be- can for the money and tho r..
suit s poor Institutes aud small attendance
know OF no States vher" the farmers inNtl.
tutcs have been better conducted and have accom-.
plished more for the farming interests ot the State
than In Maryland and North Carolina. aud neither
State has had the amount OF money al the dis
posal OF the State Director that other and richer
States have had But In both States tho Institute
have been the work OF the Directors. ~ho hay"
given their time 10 them and have kept them TO
their Legitimate work and have not allowed them
to become entertainments mistrcl shows. nj.
rector Amoss I'm Maryland has s,ernly set down
on any attempt TO peryert the work TO such uaca
and has stopped of hand any attempt OF any one
to grind bis axe in an institute. as have sccn
done In another State. where fertilizer dealer
~as allowed 10 take an hour and n half giving ali
sorts of rnsinfor III alton that the State speaker
had 10 correct afterwarda
In North Carolina the Institutes have been
brought TO their present effective statc through
the wise direction OF Dr. Butler. who. like Mr.
Amoss. has kept the meetings strictly TO their
work and has shut out fakes and mere amusc.
ments.
Bu, no matter how strong the organization nor
how effective the direction and management of
the Institutes. they wlli never do what they can
Tor tho farmers Till the farmers themselves real
izo that these their Institutes and take an nc.
tive part In them. The best equipped speaker
may lecture. and may not touch once the points
that majority OF the farmers present wlah to
hear discussed
The nattcst failure In nm institute have ever
attended has been where there VAS n good audi.
who listened at,cntiyeiy TO NIL that VAS said
and then went home solemniy though they
had been 10 church. The speakers did not know
whether they bad helped any not.
The best institute ever attended WAS one ia
which was one OF the speakers. and the audience
pumped every man dry before they L., 20 OF him
I saA on tho program 20 speak on certain topic.
but those farmers were there TO hear what they
wanted 10 hear. and when got on my feet they
began TO IRE questions at me Till my time was
used up and had not said n word on the topic |
rose 10 speak on. That waa real farnp.rs' insti-
tutc IA meeting for the exchange of ideas and the
getting at facts that the farmers wanted TO know
Now. there will be Institutes this summer In
several Southern States. and | would suggest 10
til our readers that they now make notes In ad-
vance what they want 10 learn about and put
the queetions in shape before the institute meets.
and then make IL farmers. and not merely n
speakers institute You will gain far more from
the institute than II YOU simply go and listen to
the speeches.