The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-12-16


timated that the amount of work fol-
another year will easily treble these
futures.
$4,000 Mississippi People Reached by
Farmers Institutes.
To carry the college to the fields
and barns of the farmers, and to the
kitchens OF farmers wives is the pur-
pose of the extension work. This is
widely done by the Department Of
Farmers Institutes.
Il. II. Pate, director of Farmers In
stitutes in Mississippi, states the
scope Of this work as follows:
Soil fertility, permanent agricul-
ture, live stock, silos, forage crops,
legumes, grains, terracing, thing, di-
versification rotation, seed selection,
feeding of live stock, preparation of
soil, cultivation of crops. fruits, vege.
tables, and general home and farm
topics are included in the wide range
of subjects discussed at Mississippi
farmers Institutes. These discus.
sions of the institute workers are
based on demonstrated facts gathered
from the farm demonstration work in
different soil types of the state. In
this way the Department of Farmers
Institutes aims to meet the purpose
for which it was organized, the dis
semination of scientific and practical
information to the farmers of the
state.
"In addition to these special sub
jects each institute is thrown open
for questions and general discussions.
The farmers, participate in these dis
cussions which enables the institute
to develop subjects of local interest
The question box is often the most in.
teresting feature of the meeting.
"In carrying this information direct
ly to the farmers the A. & M. College
is serving a great and useful purpose.
The economic principle justifying the
expenditure of public funds to educate
those who may attend the college,
justifies also a similar expenditure
for the purpose of taking the college
to those who cannot attend it. This
is the work of the Farmers Institute.
There is a growing demand for
L.. ~ he {o$n
shown by the annual report of the SUI
perintendent of the last four years.
In 1911 the total attendance at all in
stitutes was only 10000 people; in
1912, $4,000; in 1913, 1900; in 1914,
121, 1000, while the present will prob
ably exceed 1914.
Increased Efficiency of Farmer and
Soil.
These figures show the need and
progress of the farmers institute
work The development of the state
depends upon increasing the efficiency
of the farmer himself and increasing
the productivity of the soil. Since the
farmer pays large share of the tax
for educational purposes he is entitled
to his share of its benefits. This is
undertaken primarily for him, and
through him for the benefit of the en-
tire state Education is no longer con-
sidered philanthropy but is a sure pro-
lection to the state. An educated ag-
ricultural citizenship is a prosperous
citizenship and the hope of our state.
hence the scope of the institute work
is entirely educational.
''The Farmers Institute Department
has a regular staff of workers consist
ing of the superintendent of institutes
and several regular assistants, who
give their full time to the work. In
addition to this the Department of
College Extension renders special aid.
e. r. Lloyd, director of college extern
sion: r. S. Wilson, state agent of
farm demonstration work, together
with the district and county agents.
and the entire experiment station
staff constitute an advisory board for
the work and each assists in the con-
Quoting of formers institutes. Spe-
cialists from the college faculty, from
the Department of Animal Husbandry,
the dairy, the poultry and horticul
tural departments, the drainage spe.
cialists, the entomologist, bacteriolo-
gist, the state veterinarian and other
specialists. also assist in holding in
stitutes
Welfare Clubs Organized.
For the purpose of encouraging, aid
ing, and assisting in every way pos
sible the communities in the towns
and rural districts of the state in solv-
ing their business and social problems
by collective action. the Agricultural
& Mechanical College, through its ex-
tension department has just establish
ed division of community organiza
tions.
The rural communities of Missis.