OCT 2© 
whom has the crossing of wheats been followed 
for a longer time or more persistently? Who, 
besides the Rural, has effected crosses be¬ 
tween wheat and rye and continued the 
crossing for five years 1 Twelve years ago 
hundreds of pelargoniums were purchased— 
the finest then known—and two years were 
given to systematic crossing between these 
kinds. No less than 3,000 seeds were in this 
way produced and no less than 1,500 seedlings 
were raised, which bloomed but to sbow that 
there was not one amoug them that showed 
Fig. 442. Fig. 443. 
any valuable advance beyond those in the 
market. For years we have raised potatoes 
from seeds to reject year after year hundreds 
that were inferior to old binds Our rose hy¬ 
brids and h v brids between the raspberry and 
blackberry may or may not be worth some¬ 
thing. .Is it to be wondered at that we have 
in all these years hit upon one real success? 
Well, even that is still to be shown If, how¬ 
ever. we may be trusted to squelch the fond¬ 
ness of a parent for his offspring, or, what is 
something akin, the regard of the originator 
for his seedliug productions, we do cherish a 
little hope that several varieties of our wheats, 
when raised beside the popular kinds of the 
day, will not suffer by the comparison. 
fiitrtil (Topics. 
FARMERS’ INSTITUTES. 
The institutes benefit, not a few, but all in 
each neighborhood ; started in Michigan, 
in 1875; the Michigan plan; talks bg Pro¬ 
fessors: dividing expenses: results of the 
Michigan institutes ; Ohio in the field; 
Buckeye institutes not connected with the 
agricultural college; Wisconsin in the 
work ; most enthusiastic of alt; objections; 
New York starts; the ideal scheme; in¬ 
creasing in Mississippi; lively times in 
Wisconsin; the movement in Tennessee, 
Vermont, Minnesota, North Carolina, 
Massachusetts, Missouri, Texas, Florida, 
Arkansas, Nebraska , Georgia , West Vir¬ 
ginia, Nevada, Colorado, Maine, and New 
Hampsh ire. 
The farmers’ institutes, which, during the 
past few years have become so popular in 
several of the Western States and in New 
York, form, as we believe, one of the most 
promising agricultural movements of modern 
times. We believe that every State in the 
Union should follow the examples of Michigan, 
Ohio and Wisconsin. The winter is the 
farmer’s season for study and recreation. 
Now is the time to agi ate the question and to 
impress uj.ou the minds ol would-be legisla¬ 
tors tnat farmers will appreciate aid from the 
State in starting and maintaining these meet¬ 
THE RURAL WEW-Y0RKIR. 
ings. With this idea in mind the following 
articles have been prepared, iu the hope that 
an account of the history and advantages of 
the meetings in a few favored States, may 
induce farmers in other States to push the 
cause along. 
FARMERS’ INSTITUTES IN MICHIGAN. 
There is no doubt that farmers’ institutes 
area fixfd institution—they have come to stay. 
Indeed their value is so pateut t hat they must, 
be appreciated, and no State that once in¬ 
augurates this plan of farmers’ meetings will 
think of abandoning it The Grange is doing 
a grand work; but it fails to reach nil the peo¬ 
ple as does the institute. To farmers’ clubs 
and horticultural societies there is the same 
objection. They are admirable, both in their 
educational and social influences, but they, 
like the Grauge. are usually exclusive. The 
farmers’ institutes, on the other baud, invite 
all, and often, if we may judge from the 
throngs that attend them, invite them not iu 
vain. 
Michigan was the first State to start this 
wheel rolling, The scheme originated at the 
Michigan Agricultural College. Long the Fa¬ 
culty had discussed plans for reaching more 
directly the farmers themselves and for com¬ 
ing more intimately into association with 
them. Doctors Kedxie and Beal especially 
had urged just such meetings as have since 
been realized in the farmers’ institutes. At 
last, in the summer of 1875. Dr. Kedzie, per¬ 
suaded that the day for mere talk had passed, 
made out a scheme, planning even all the de¬ 
tails. and presented it to the State Board of 
Agriculture—the Board that controls the col¬ 
lege—with so much force and cogency that 
it was at once adopted ami put, into operation 
iu the winter of 1875-0. That plan is the one 
which has worked so satisfactorily and 
wrought such valuable results in Michigan for 
the past. 12 years. 
The scheme is briefly this; Six institutes are 
held each winter in different portions of the 
State, in places selected by the Board and 
Faculty, upon invitation from these places. 
The rule in selecting, is to use all sections of 
the State alike, and to observe in each deeis 
ion the localities visited in previous winters. 
One half of the addresses are furnished by 
members of the college Faculty; the other 
half by persons at the place where the insti¬ 
tute is held. All the Professors take part in 
the meetings. The Professor of Agriculture 
discusses such topics as ensilage and the silo, 
breeds of cattle, care and feediug of stock. 
The Professor of Horticulture, speaks of selec¬ 
tion of fruit trees, care of orchards and fann¬ 
ers’ gardens. The Professor of Entomology 
speaks of insects and bees. The Veterinarian 
speaks of the horse’s foot, etc. The Professor 
of Chemistry tells of clover as a fertilizer; 
nitrogen, etc. The Professor of Botauv speaks 
of trees and tree planting, graces, etc. And 
so ou, while the President and Secretary dis¬ 
cuss the college. The meeting lasts two days, 
and the aim is to have not more than three or 
four papers each session, so that the discuss¬ 
ions may be full and thorough. There is no 
better way to secure the universal interest 
thau to get all to take part in these discus-ions. 
Often the liest outcome from a paper is the 
discussion its presentation elicits. 
In our institutes all local expeuses are 
borne by the place where the institute is held. 
The expenses of the faculty are borne by the 
State. Often the locality makes au exhibit of 
grains, fruits, etc., which adds to the interest, 
and in every case appropriate music makes 
the occasioif more enjoyable. In our insti¬ 
tutes the presiding officer is selected by the 
people of the place where the meeting is held. 
This usuully works well, though very rarely 
it gives us a stick of a president, which throws 
cold water ou the whole meeting. 
These institutes have been very fruitful of 
good. They have aided to fill up the college 
to its utmost capacity; they have brought the 
college and people into closer relation, and 
helped to win t he sympathies of the people, so 
that now the college has the warm support 
aud confidence of the farmers of Michigan; 
and, last, they have been schools for both Fac¬ 
ulty and farmers, showiug the first what the 
second needed and desired, aud giving to the 
farmers some of the science taught at the col¬ 
lege. 
Some years after Michigan inaugurated 
these institutes Ohio started a similar move¬ 
ment uuder the management of W.I. Cham¬ 
berlin, the energetic Secretary of the State 
Board of Agriculture. Of course, they would 
succeed. Iu Ohio they have many institutes 
each w inter. The Secretary of the Board of 
Agriculture has a fund to secure speakers, 
who are for the most part farmers of the 
State. As there is no organic connection 
between these Ohio institutes and their “ag¬ 
ricultural college,” the Ohio State University, 
of course the college aud the people fail to se¬ 
cure the valuable resul.s which are gleaned 
by each in Michigan, though the services of 
some of the Professors of the University are 
secured. It is not their institution, and they 
can uot from the nature of the case feel that 
pride, iuterest and responsibility in the mat¬ 
ter that our Faculty here feels m our insti¬ 
tutes. I have attended mil addressed several 
of these Ohio institutes, aud I should say that 
their dauger is a possible failure to make 
every institute a success—a danger which is 
hardly possible iu Michigan, Moreover there 
is a great loss m not having their institutes a 
part of their agricultural college, ps a vital 
connection of this kind would greatly aid the 
farmers, and popularize the University. 
Wisconsin commenced her institutes two 
years ago. She has scores of institutes each 
winter. She is to have 82 in IHS7-8S, scat¬ 
tered all over the State. There is an ample 
fund so that the most aide aud interesting 
speakers are secured. Not only is the best 
home talent employed, but speakers are se¬ 
cured from all over the United States. The 
whole is put into the charge of a very wide¬ 
awake, capable and astute superintendent, 
who never permits side Issues or any 
disturbing element to enter the insti¬ 
tutes. Father he or some of his assist¬ 
ants always preside, and so the insti¬ 
tutes are at fever heat from the first to the 
la.-t. As the superintendent selects speakers 
and makes the programmes, of course, the 
addresses are all terse aud interesting, aud 
the institutes are deservedly popular. I at¬ 
tended several of the Wisconsin institutes 
Inst, winter, and 1 consider them most admira¬ 
ble. 
I am free to say that 1 do not believe any 
appropriation made by the State secured 
greater returns thau the institute fund. My 
criticism would be that the people of the 
places where the institutes are held would of- 
teu receive more good did they have more of 
a part in the institute, even though there is a 
risk of having less brilliant papers. There is 
also the great loss which the agricultural de- 
p&rtmeutof the University meets iu uot being 
more intimately connected with the institutes. 
The same criticism I have made on the Ohio 
plan. True, the fund is iu the hands of the 
Regents of the University, vet the relation 
betweeffthe University and the institutes is so 
distant that uoither materially aids the other. 
Iu one respect Wisconsin is worthy all 
praise. The arrangement of institutes is so 
carefully and wisely made that the very most 
is accomplished with the very least expendi¬ 
ture. Four institutes are held each week, so 
two are going at once. These are close to¬ 
gether on the same liue of railroad so the ex¬ 
pense is reduced to the minimum. 
Now York last winter had one institute at a 
time. I feel sure that she could do twice as 
much good by adopting the Wisconsin scheme 
of four institutes each week near together, 
with no more expenditure. I believe by com¬ 
bining features of the Michigan and 5\ isoon- 
sin plaus the ideal scheme can be secured. 
Ag'I Coll. Lansing, Mich. a. j. cook. 
INSTITUTES IN WISCONSIN. 
The institute work as planned and carried on 
iu this State has been a great success; in fact, 
it has exceeded my most sanguine expecta¬ 
tions. Our State Agricultural Society, Dairy¬ 
men’s Association and Horticultural Society 
have been for mauy years holding each a sep¬ 
arate convention iu some part of the State an¬ 
nually. These meetings have been great edu¬ 
cators and have developed students and think¬ 
ers in nearly all the avenues of our agricultur¬ 
al iudustries. Such men as Hiram Smith, 
W. D. Hoard. H. C. Adams, C. R. Beach, J. 
A. Smith. I heo. Lewis, Geo. A. Austin, J. M. 
True, J. M. Smith, and I might mention 
many others, have come up through these pri¬ 
mary schools, and it wa- while listening to 
Hon, Hiram Smith in a short, practical talk 
on dairying, that the thought catno to Hon. C. 
E. Estabrook, who was a member of our leg¬ 
islature, to introduce a hill providing for ag¬ 
ricultural institutes. The act appropriated 
$.5,00(1 annually, and put it into the hands of 
the Regents of the State University. I was 
requested to take the superintendency and 
commenced the work with only two objects in 
view: First, to advertise in such a manner as 
to securea crowd of farmers and their wives. 
Second, to present some farm subject by a 
farmer who was successful and who could in¬ 
struct aud imerest an audience, a .dali papers 
and addresses not to exceed 20 minutes, to be 
be followed by questions and a general discus¬ 
sion. lam issuing31,OtM) bulletins to adver¬ 
tise our 82 institutes to be held the coming 
winter. The bulletin will make a pamphlet 
of 210 pages, contain a prospectus of the work, 
places, dates, speakers, their subjects; aud we 
will give a stenographic report of one insti¬ 
tute. w. H. MORRISON. 
Madison, Wis. 
R. N-Y.—No political campaign was ever 
planned more carefully than the farmers’ in¬ 
stitute campaign in Wisconsin, 'lhe meet¬ 
ings for this year will begin Novetnper 1. 
Already the portions of the state to be visited 
have been flooded with posters and circulars. 
Superintendent Morrison gives his whole 
time to the work. No less than 107 speakers 
are under engagement. About every man who 
has auv reputation as an agricultural writer 
or speaker will address one or more of the.se 
meetings. All topics brought before the 
meeting are sure to be discussed by authori¬ 
ties. Instructions ns to the best methods of 
advertising the meetings are sent to the local 
committees some months in advance Of the 
date. Some enterprising man is selected to 
organize. A meeting of citizens is called and the 
townspeople are given to understand that it is 
for their interest to start the meeting off well. 
The ladies and young people are invited to 
furnish music. The local papers publish no¬ 
tices. Hundreds of posters are printed and 
distributed. Every farmer’s wagon that comes 
into town goes out with half a-dozen posters. 
The business men of the town are asked to 
advertise on this poster and thus help defray 
the expenses. Then everybody begins to talk 
“institute” until everybody in the neighbor¬ 
hood knows when the meeting is to be 
held. Tlie result is a rousing audience aud a 
very useful meeting. These institutes are 
well called “traveling agricultural schools.” 
They have been wonderfully useful to Y\ iscou- 
sin farmers. In Iowa au “ association of ag¬ 
ricultural and industrial instruction” has just 
been formed. Its object is to elevate, improve 
and instruct farmers by means of institutes, 
lectures, publications etc. Any citizen of the 
State iu any way connected with its indus¬ 
tries can be a member of the association. 
The Board of Managers are to represent the 
State Agricultural Society, the State Horti¬ 
cultural Society, the Agricultural College, the 
Improved Stock Breeders’ Association, the 
Farmers? State Alliance, the State University 
and other kindred State associations. It is 
proposed to hold at least 12 institutes each 
year ou the Wisconsin plan 
INSTITUTES IN MISSISSIPPI. 
Several farmers” clubs bail been organized 
in the State before 1880, but the first farmers’ 
institute was gotten up voluntarily by two 
members of the Faculty of the State Agri¬ 
cultural College in 1881. Several meeting were 
held iu different places aud attend d by two 
or more men from the college until 1888. 
when the Board of Trustees of the college 
made provisions for holding six regular in¬ 
stitutes during each year, in different locali¬ 
ties iu the State. During the past two years 
the number of meetings has increased to ten. 
The institute work has been conducted by the 
President and Professors of Agriculture,Horti¬ 
culture, Chemistry and Botany, from two 
men to the eutire five attending ea ch meeting 
aud making addresses and answering questions 
propounded by the audiences. The meetings 
are popular, are always well attended, und 
a good deal of interest is manifested. Appli¬ 
cations to the Faculty to hold institutes are 
increasing and many caunot be accepted on 
account of lack of time. F. a. gullet. 
Professor of Agriculture. 
INSTITUTES IN ILLINOIS. 
The Illinois State Board of Agriculture is 
arranging to have farmers’ institutes held, 
during the next few mouths, in most, if not 
all. of the Congressional districts of the State, 
also county farmers’ institutes in as mauy of 
the counties of tin* State as practicable. These 
institutes are to be uuder the special care of 
the Vice-Presidents, of whom tln re is one for 
each Congressional district. Each of these is 
also expected to appoint for each county iu 
bts district a chairman of a committee on in 
statutes in that eouuty. The Faculty of the 
University has always given aid to the insti¬ 
tutes. Lust season at least 50 addresses were 
delivered by members of the Faculty at. insti¬ 
tutes iu this State. One of the institutes last 
year was held at the University. For a num¬ 
ber of years the University hold an annual in¬ 
stitute. U. K. MORROW. 
MEETINGS IN NEW JERSEY. 
There are uo meetings uuder the name of 
“farmers’ institutes” arranged for Now Jer 
sey. There are a number of meetings held by 
the Stale and Couuty Boards of Agriculture, 
by the State Horticultural Society, by the 
Cranberry Growers’Association and by the 
State and branch Granges. The Professor of 
Agriculture from the agricultural college at¬ 
tends a number of these meetings, but not all. 
New Brunswick, N. J. geo. h. t'OOK. 
THE MOVEMENT IN OTHER STATES. 
The Rural has endeavored to learn what 
interest is being taken in other States with 
regaixi to this movement, and to what extent 
the Professors at the various agricultural col¬ 
leges are helping, A few Institutes have been 
held iu Tennessee, but no dates have as yet 
been made for this season. 1 he agricultural 
department of the State College will not be 
organized until the arrival of Irof. i lumb. 
In Vermont the Board of Agriculture will 
hold 15 meetings during the wiuter at which 
