Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-20

The benefits wnsch the institute Is
able 10 cover are not as fully appreciaI-
eu as they should be. Tor they nave un-
doubleday been the means OF attracting
the attention OF those who Til the son
towards the dement's which uerinite
knowIedge concerning farm practices
would confer. They nave also made II
possible FOR the farmer 10 secure AT
nrst and much Information showing the
relation between sCience and good farm
practice. While II may seem 10 nave
taken a long time to convince the tarm-
er OF the need OF a change IN mas ousl-
ness metnOds and The development or
Cooperative organizations for MS pro-
lection. Gay OF better things IN this
direction has dawne0, and me institute
will undoubtedly be able TO render ser
wee or a more substantial nature IN
me future than IL mas IN the past
OBJECTION mas been made TO The insti-
tute movement because II was thought
at first that il must have some political
significance, ami II was very dlnicuIt
for some years for those who were Its
benenciaries 10 appreciate the fact that
rhe men employed could actually De
.raveung about with the idea OF assist
ing in disseminating knowledge with
out hoping to gain some personal emOl-
ument thereby. Happily, this time mas
passed, and the missionary spirit which
has characterized the institute worker Is
has done mucn 10 pace work or this
character on a basis above reproaeh.
When the immensely OF our agricul-
tural problems is taken into consIGera-
ton, tLere is some reason for the feel
ing that an institute should last for
more than one day, but when it is con-
sidered tnat the special interests Of
given community may be taken under
advisement and remedies suggested, Tor
instance, for successfully combating
the inroads Of a predaceous insect or
the destruction wrought Dy fungous
disease, the argument roses its force.
IL is quite possible, for instance, To
organize a meeting where the subject OF
cotton wilt may be discussed, anu all
knowledge pertaining 10 that topic Civ
en- 10 the people OF a certain locality
in a period OF three or four hours.
:. naleyer changes may be wrought In
the institute system through the Gevel-
opment OF the extension movement, IL
will always have a special place IN any
scheme OF agricultural education com
menSurate with the needs OF the com
monwealth. Probably one of the great
est services which the Institutes have
rendered 10 agriculture is the fact that
out OF them has developed the more
definite sen eme Of education for farm
ment The Institutes were pioneers In
this direction. and considering The
economic conditions which prevailed IN
this country for such a long period.
coupled with the low price OF land, IL IS
not surprising that tie progress or agrl-
cultural education or anything savorIns
thereof should have been comparative
ly slow. With the sudden change OF
conditions which the exhaustion or the
Nd Yields
have brought about, IL is but natural
that the institute should have sprung
into popular favor. and the demand for
a more permanent character OF instruc-
ton ensue, which has resulted in the
organization of extension school. Farm
ers' Institutes in their present form
have rendered a service to Georgia
fully as IL should be. To make them
as efficient as is desirable. the work
must be more literally endowed by the
state or else the benefits which they
stand ready to confer will be denied
20 many communities which are sorely
IN need Of information relating 10 GER
tain phases OF farm practice as follow
ed at present
During the past year meetings of
three kinds were organized or attended
In the first group will be found the in
stitutes arranged in various senatorial
dlSuiclS IN direct co-opeEalion with the
College OF Agriculture. These were held
a. the following places: LaGrange. Lump
kin. Blakely. McRae, TignalI. Perry,
Hsrtwell. Jasper. Calhoun. Dublin,
Springfield. Douglas. Cairo. Yatesville.
Kingsland Jesup. Claxton, Warm
Springs, Miner, Pelham, Sylvester and
Hogansville.
The second class of meetings referred
20 are the county institutes for teachers
held under the auspices OF the county
school commissioners. An endeavOr has
been made for a long time to have ade-