Miscellaneous. 



540 



[December, 1909. 



the Grange, while it claims to be a secret 

 society, is organized solely for the 

 promotion of the interests of the farmer 

 and the improvement of the conditions 

 which surround country life. 



The Farm Press.— A very important 

 factor in the line of agricultural in- 

 struction and co-operation, one which 

 has only been started in the Philippine 

 Islands, is the work of the agricultural 

 press. In almost every State there are 

 papers devoted to the particular agricul- 

 tural interests of the various sections of 

 the State, which materially assist the 

 farmers who read them, and furnish a 

 medium of communication between 

 farmers of different sections, enabling 

 them to better cooperate with one 

 another and assist each other in the 

 different lines of agricultural work which 

 they are carrying on. 



Local Organizations. 

 Farmers ' Institutes. — Another means of 

 popular agricultural instruction, which 

 is voluntary or the part of the people in 

 almost every large section or community, 

 is the Farmers ' Institute, which in most 

 cases closely co-operates with the 

 agricultural college and experiment 

 stations of the State. These organiza- 

 tions of farmers hold meetings at 

 least once or twice yearly, at Avhich 

 farmers from the different parts of a 

 section discuss questions regarding the 

 best methods of raising the crops in 

 which they are interested and the best 

 means for promoting their general in- 

 terests at home and abroad. Through 

 co-operation with the State department 

 of agriculture or the State agricultural 

 college these meetings are usually fur- 

 nished with lecturers or instructors on 

 those lines of agriculture in which the 

 farmers of the particular section are 

 most interested. On the other hand, 

 through the work of the State agricul- 

 tural colleges or experiment stations in 

 many States, the farmers who have 

 organized themselves into institutes, 

 associations, or unions are induced to 

 visit the State agricultural college and 

 experiment station at least once during 

 the year, at which time the lines of 

 work which are being carried on at the 

 college or station are explained to the 

 farmers, and such questions as are of 

 most importance are dealt with in 

 general discussions or conferences which 

 the farmers are invited to attend and 

 participate in. Such excursions tend 

 to bring the farmers into much closer 

 sympathy and commuunication with the 

 agricultural college and the experiment 

 stations of their State. In many cases 

 there is very close sympathy and co- 

 operation on the part of the farmers with 



the colleges and experiment stations, 

 and many questions of importance to 

 the farmers are immediately referred to 

 the college or experiment station where 

 they are taken up, investigated, and 

 answered to the satisfaction of the 

 individual farmer. 



State and County Fairs. — Another 

 source of agricultural information and 

 instruction, which should not be neglect- 

 ed, is what is popularly known as 

 State and county fairs. At these fairs, 

 which are often held in the smaller sec- 

 tions of the States, the products of the 

 farms from the country around are exhi- 

 bited and various money prizes, awards, 

 medals, premiums, etc., are given for 

 excellence or superiority of the different 

 products. In some States almost every 

 county has a county fair, and later on, 

 in most States, a State fair and agri- 

 cultural exposition is held. Before 

 these fairs the farmers vieo with one 

 another endeavoring to raise the best 

 products on their farms, and as a conse- 

 quence of their desire to excel there is 

 a natural demand for further inform- 

 ation regarding the best means of rais- 

 ing the different crops and of breeding 

 the best farm animals. In this way 

 many of them are brought into com- 

 munication with the State colleges and 

 experiment stations Avhich are organized 

 for the promotion of the best interests 

 of the farmers and the advancement of 

 life in the counrty. 



The Farmers' Schools. 



The Work of the Common School.— 

 Another source of popular agricultural 

 instruction, and one which has for a 

 long time been neglected, is the work of 

 the schools for the farmers' children. 

 Mr. John E. Bell, writing for The Out- 

 look of April 10 last, says : — 



A little preliminary awakening is 

 taking place along this line, but as a 

 rule the farmers' teacher is not fitted 

 by education, understanding, or inclin- 

 ation to teach the farmers' school. The 

 farmer should be taught his business in 

 his school ; but what is the standing of 

 agriculture in our country schools ? 

 Why, the average teacher of the 

 farmers' school, it might be said, knows 

 nothing about the nature of farming, 

 cares nothing, dislikes the farm, and is 

 teaching as a step toward getting away 

 from the farm. When the teacher of 

 the farmers' boy wishes to incite him 

 to study and effort, wishes to create 

 ambition, he tells the boy that if he 

 studies hard and learns well he may 

 some day be a clex k in a store, or a book- 

 keeper, and tells the girl that she may 

 become a stenographer and typewriter, 



