FARMEES' INSTITUTES. 235 



YPSILANTI INSTITUTE. 



This Institute commencing Tuesday evening, January 23d, was held in '^ Light 

 Guard Hall." This commodious hall was well filled throughout the Institute, 

 and during some of the sessions many were unable to find seats. 



The first session was opened with music, and prayer by Kev. Mr, Boyden. 



The President, Hon. J. "Webster Childs, made the following opening address : 



Ladies axd CtENTLEmen : — When the idea of holding Farmer's Institutes 

 was first entertained by the State Board of Agriculture, it was considered some- 

 what of an experiment. But the Board believed that the farmers were ready to 

 respond to their invitation ; to join with them and the Faculty of the Agricul- 

 tural College in calling and conducting such gatherings. And in this they were 

 not mistaken. The complete success of each and every one of those held in the 

 various parts of the State last winter, not only in point of numbers attending 

 them, but in the lively interest manifested both by farmers and others in the 

 communities where they were held ; and the earnest manner in which our intel- 

 ligent farmers came forward and took active part in the conduct and discus- 

 sions of those meetings was a source of great gratification to the Board and 

 Faculty, and to all others interested in promoting tlie important interests of 

 agriculture. It is also a satisfaction to know that the published reports of those 

 Institutes are being sought for and eagerly read by many hundreds of our far- 

 mers who had not the privilege of attending the meetings. And we are pleased 

 to learn that the first two of this winter's series, held last week, were in every 

 respect a success. And also that in various parts of the State similar Institutes 

 are being held other than those appointed by the Board, — called and conducted 

 by the earnest and intelligent farmers of the different localities. 



Labor is the true source of wealth ; and a larger proportion of the people of 

 our country are, and of necessity must and should be, engaged in agriculture 

 than in all the other industrial pursuits combined. And while we would not 

 undervalue any of the laudable industries, all of which are of so great impor- 

 tance to society, still we think we are not unwarranted in saying that none of 

 them are of so great importance, or lie so nearly at the foundation of national 

 wealth and greatness, as does the tilling of the soil. And there is no industry 

 or occupation the prosecution of which is calculated to be more interesting to 

 the intelligent and thinking mind, or that opens a broader field for thought 

 and investigation, nor is there any tliat more surely rewards for such investi- 

 gation. 



It is a very great mistake to suppose that farmers need, for the most success- 

 ful prosecution of their calling, less mental culture, less knowledge of those 

 sciences, on obedience to whose laws depends so entirely their success, than those 

 connected with other pursuits. But such, to a great extent, has long been the 

 generally received and expressed ojoinion, and in that opinion farmers them- 

 selves, as a class, have in the past coincided. They educated their sons that 

 were to be teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, or merchants, but failed to see 

 the necessity of an equal amount of mental culture for those who were to follow 

 the plow. After leaving tlie district school, which often was at quite an early 

 period in life, the balance of the young farmer's education was to learn to 

 farm as his father farmed. To be sure, this practical experience was not with- 



