The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-03-16

ehat Will interest young folks In the
business Of the farm instead Of encour-
aging ideas that tend cityward.
at AMeSville. o.. an agricultural ex.
tension school was held for one week
in September which farmers, their
wives and families attended. The men
and boys were instructed in the prin-
ciples Of soil fertility. farm crops. hor-
ticulture. live stock judging. etc. The
and girls were given new ideas
IN homemaking. the principles involv-
ed in breadmaking and other cooking,
together with simple scientific reasons
for certain chemical changes which
come under their observation in every
day life on the farm.
Agricultural high schools are being
established in different states so that
pupils may go from the small district
schools to a larger and better equipped
school to continue their agricultural
studies. There should be at least one
such school in each county where farm
subjects would receive special atten-
ton. 1t is education Of the right sort.
considering what is demanded Of mod.
ern progressive farmers.
Agricultural Department.
The important service rendered to
the farmers of the land by the agri-
cultural department at Washington is
everywhere recognized. The expert
ment stations, the successive bulletins
dealing with all phases Of crop grow
ing. live stock and other subjects Of
interest to farmers and the other ac-
tivities Of the department have been
of incalculable benefit to American ag-
riculture.
OF scarcely less moment are the va
rious farmers institutes held in the
different states. A case in point was
the institute held ut Manhattan, Kan.
about two weeks ago. Over 800 farm.
ers were present.
During the last year a large corps
of farmers institute workers and in.
structOrs from the Kansas State Agri.
cultural college have been busy in the
county and local institutes Of the
state. They have lectured upon and
demonstrated scientific agricultural in
vestigation and better methods of
farming. The mails have carried large
amounts Of bulletins and other litera-
ture relating to agriculture, and spe-
cial trains have made tours Of the
state. This is taking the college to the
people. Then for a week, from Dec.
- to JAM. l, the people came to the
college when it opened it's doors to the
state farmers institute. Almost 700
persons, most Of them boys and girls.
sent by the local institutes of their re-
spective neighborhoods, were enrolled
in classes. Besides these there We're a
large number who came to the con
ferences Of the various organizations
of agricultural interests that met at
the college during the week. The dai-
rymen and creamerymen of Kansas
effected organizations, and the horse.
the sheep and the swine breeders as
sOciatiOns convened. Conferences Of
millers and wheat growers and of
county highway officers were held,
and the corn show and the poultry
show brought a large number inter
ested in these lines. In short. almost
every phase of agricultural interest
was represented.
Kansas Farmers Alive.
The state farmers institute of Kan
sas this year was the most successful
ever held. Not only is this true in
point of attendance, but in the live in
terest displayed. There was no evil
II that any one came through idle
curiosity; every Il evinced Il purpose
to observe, study and learn. And the
opportunity was unequaled. On the
college grounds We're to be seen some
of the championship show stock of the
world, h prize winning corn exhibits
of many shows. and the we'll equipped
laboratories We're open to the use of
the students. Glasses were offered the
men and boys in corn judging, stock
judging, dairying and poultry manage
ment. Women and girls were given
work in domestic science and art. The
actual laboratory and practice work
vas supplemented by lectures and
demonstrations. These were given by
the very best of authorities on the va
rious subjects, speakers from various
state universities and the department
of agriculture at Washington.
Every evening the large auditorium
was thrown open to every one-stu-
dents and visitors. Lectures and dem
onstrations were given, many Of them
made especially interesting and in
structive by the use of stereopticon
slides thrown upon u screen.
Professor G. p. Hartley of the Unit
ed States department Of agriculture
gave some very valuable lectures
about corn breeding and corn varia-
ton. He told Of the results Of expert
ments which he himself had carried
out in corn growing. There was no
pretty but useless theory here. The
practical nature of his work was set
forth when he said:
1T is not always the incest looking