The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-02-15
EIGHTH ANNUAL
FARM COLLEGE
Institute at Donnellson Closes This
Evening After Most Profitable
Session Of Two
Days.
SCIENCE IN FARMING
Possibility Of Alfalfa in Lee County
as an Additional Crop for
the Farmers of This
Section.
SCIENCE IN FARMING
Especial to The Gate clty.l

DONNEIsLSON, Feb. 15,-The
eighth annual Farmers Institute of
Lee county began It's session at Don
nelson yesterday morning when Pres
ident Joseph Fry of Viewer called the
melting to order in Dickey Hall.
The Invocation was given by the
Rev. Jas. Clark of Donnellson, after
which Mr.. Fry in few well chosen
remarks addressed his hearers on the
advantages to the community at large
of Farmers Institute Mr. Fry said
In part.
"This Is the eighth time that the
Farmers Institute has been held IN
Lee county. This is the eighth time
that we have met as brother farmers
to consult together regarding agricul-
tural problems. to the betterment OF
our natural conditions the benefits
that will result from such improved
conditions.
Farmers have learned now what
some men in other vocatlons have
learned before them and that Is If
they wish to be prosperous they must
be progressive. Progress Is the
watcbword today in every line Of en-
deayor and If agriculture is to keep
side by side with other industries that
are making these rapid strides, 1t
must also be progressive. 1t is being
conceded on all sides now that what
the farmer needs is brains more than
muscle The time is gone when the
farmer needs no mental training.
when his life was ceaseless round
of toll and drldgery. The boy OF to-
aay who has passed through the third
grade knows more about soil, nature
and the world around him than his
ancestors did at ripe age. The chill
dren of today who have passed
through the eighth grade have
much better conception OF nature an
natures laws than did the tillers O
the soil at the time this continen
was discovered. 1t is now bein
realized that agriculture offers tn
most promising field for scientific d
yelopment When Burbank give
us q seedless apple, pltless plum.
thornless cactus. when Holden give
us two grains of corn where only Oh
grew before, we begin to realize in
measure what science can do for tt
farmer. We begin to realize that IL
most careful training is none too gre
for him who tills the soil. Boys
now being trained and are puttil
into practical use the store of info
nation with respect to getting t
hest results from their labor and t
soil upon which they work. The ne
of these things were foreseen by Q
leading men long ago but the mills
the gods grind slowly. Even in Wa'
ington's time attention was given
learning the secrets OF the soil.
called the attention Of congress to
need OF agricultural colleges, sigl
stations and for the development
agricultural territory. Now in ev'
state men like Prof Holden are fl
Ing many uses for their faculties
garding the possibilities of the 30
ron the sixteenth of last month
bill was introduced in both houses
congress that is going to revolution
the farming industry. In this bill ]
visions are made for general agri'
tural work. 1t contemplates the {
rying on of the extension W
through agricultural colleges throu
out the country by means of CON
tent instructors not only In agi
ture but In rural affairs genera
through field demonstrations
publications and otherwise"
AS to the success of the instit
Itself, from the best information