The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-11-13
FARMERS INSTITUTE MEETING
And What an Interested and InflHen-
tial Member OF Skowhegan Grange
Has to Say on the Subject

Saturday, Nov. 8, was the date ad-
vertised for the Institute meeting In
| Grange Hall, Skowhegan. A few days
before, | received a communication
| from Commissioner of Agriculture,
Hon. J. H. Roberts. stating that mas
much as three of the speakers could
not come into town till the 1890 train
arrived he had arranged for Major E.
E. Philbrook to come the night before
and requested me to meet him at the
hotel in the morning and have him go
to the hall at 1000 a. m. and speak on
the Gypsy and Brown Tail Moths. us
/ ing illustrations in his lecture, 80 tina.
the audience would not be disapppint-
ed | did as requested and together
We went to the hall at the time APP
pointed for the Institute meeting to
open. We found the hall janitor on
hand, soon a few others came and
there was an informal talk, descriptive
of the moths and what we may expect
regarding them in the future by Major
Philbrook with some six or eight per-
sons present.
After the train arrived the three
other speakers came to the hall and
DR.. w. L. West spoke As minutes to an
audience averaging about Is, on tuber-
culor tests.
In the afternoon there were not
over 25 in the hall at any one time to
listen to Prof. p. P. Mitchell whose
subject was Agricultural Education
and w F. McSparran Of Pennsylvania
who spoke on the silo, ensilage and
general farm crops, occupying about
one hour and forty-five minutes. When
he closed he had just six listeners.
From my standpoint all the speakers
were well qualified to give instruction
on the lines marked out. l find no
fault whatever in the information,
scientific and otherwise, which each of
them had to offer, and the practical
farmers present could not fail of be-
ing benefited by the information i'm
parted, but | am led to ask the ques-
ton does it pay? Is it just to our
taxpayers already over burdened with
railroad travel and hotel expenses for
four speakers to come to Show
hogan and have only mere handful
as listeners" Our farmers do not
seem to manifest but little interest in
an Institute meeting, if they did they
would be out and give the speakers a
respectful hearing. There is something
radically wrong somewhere that
should be corrected. Either let US
abolish the whole thing, disband our
agricultural professors. withdraw our
appropriations for the teaching of Ag
riculture in the University at Orono
and give up the contest as a failure,
letting the farmers take care of them
selves or let us turn out, take part
and show our interest in the Agricul-
tural Board and the work 1t is trying
to do 1t is shame to invite the
Institute here to our town. have the
speakers come with the expectation of
being respectfully received and heard
and then stay away and allow the dis
appointment that must of necessity
follow As one of the officers of the
Grange | was called upon to take IN
active part in providing for an Insti-
tute meeting here and did all possible
to bring about a lively and profitable
meeting in the interest of our farmers
but if there ever is another one in
Skowhegan someone else may look af-
ter it.
S. F. EMERSON.