People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1895 — The Farmer’s Institute. [ARTICLE]

The Farmer’s Institute.

The event of the week, and it was of sufficient importance to have been the event of the whole year for Jasper county, was the Farmers Institute which was held at the court house on Wednesday and Thursday. The attendance this year was better than on former occasions, thaugh far from what it should be. It should be borne in mind that the state is at great expense to send out lecturers who have made certain lines of farming a specialty and a success, and are qualified to tell others intelligently how to profit by their experience. Space will not permit the publication in this issue of the remarks of the state lecturers but it is only feebly expressed when stated that every farmer who stayed away from the institute stood squarly in his own light, and can count his loss in tens of dollars if not more. The institute was called to order by the president D. H. Yeoman, who made a few terse remarks on the benefits of these occasions, after a fervent invocation was offered by B. F. Ferguson. The address of the Hon. Cal. Husselman of Auburn, Ind., was indeed instructive, practical and charming. A synopsis of it will be giv%n next week in this paper, but the reader will not get the forcefnl expression as it came from the speakers lips. Following Cal. Husselman was a most valued paper read by Prof. A. H. Purdue, on “Origin of Soils,” which was received with great attention and has been highly spoken of since. It is printed in full on first page. The paper by Rensselaer’s talented Vetrinarian H. J. Kannal, succeeded that of Prof. Purdue, was highly appreciated and a schollarly effort. It is published on first page and will be generally read and commended. J. J. Billingsby filled the last number on the first day's program. and thoroughly interested his hearers, though his remarks very greatly negatived his sub-

ject title, “Legislation, what it can and should do for the farmer,” the logicaideduction being that legislation could do nothing for him, and he should be content with his present condition. The attendance on the second day was better than the proceeding session, Bruce Porter was in the chair and Luther Ponsler secretary, having taken the place of E. D. Nowels. “Farm Drainage” by J. J. Billingsly was ably handled and well received by the audience.