People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1896 — Farmers Institute. [ARTICLE]

Farmers Institute.

The annual meeting of the Jasper county Farmers Institute will be held in the court house. February 5 and 6. Evqry farmer that can possibly attend should do so. Able instructors will be present from abroad, those who are successful, practical and educated farmers The subjects to be presented have been selected with reference to our own surroundings. Farming is fast becoming one of the learned professions, so that there is no room for, unscientific and haphazard farming. The man that would succeed on the farm must, not only know the nature and capabilities of the soil he tills, the character and worth of the stock he raises and the grain he plants, but he must know how, when and where to buy and to sell. To acquaint himself with these fundamental principles of successful farming, the farmer must step out from under his own vine and fig tree, must occasionally come from out his own dung-hill and exchange ideas with his fellows; he must, too, occasionally stand the plow in the furrow, hang the hoe on the fence and turn to agricultural books, market reports and Farmers Institutes. The average farmer that governs himself in his work by his own knowledge and experience, is no match at all for his neighbor, who, through agricultural reading and associations, learns of the ways of the successful-and makes proper effort to practice them.

The world is growing old, our soil is wearing, new and noxious weeds are yearly invading our fields, our stock sicken and die, blight and pestilence attack our crops; on every hand the farmer and his farm are violently assailed, so to succeed he must practice the greatest intelligence, vigliance and care. Tne idea that any man can farm, any one can follow the plow and feed the pigs, has about had its day. Of all the callings in life the farmer should be the most variously accomplished person, His work and his dealings bring him in contact with most every branch of science. It is to be hoped that the farmers of Jaspercounty will avail themselves of all the benefits that the coming institute can bring.