SOME OF THE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL BENEFITS OF FARMERS' INSTITUTES.

By REV. J. I. TAGGART, Rainsboro, 0.

[Read at the Farmers' Institute held at Rainsboro, Highland County, January 22 and 23,1900.)

Whatever helps to increase the social element in man's nature better prepares him to enjoy life and benefit those around him. One of the things that distinguishes a civilized man from a savage is his social qualities. But the social element in the nature of the civilized man must be cultivated and developed for use by coming in contact with kindred spirits in order to become an important factor in making life agreeable and pleasant. Social life has its beginning in the home circle, or at least it ought to begin there, but observation has shown that in some families it lingers too near the zero point to be very helpful. But in many, if not in most of the homes in this region at least, the social atmosphere is healthful and inspiring and so beneficial to the members of the home that it would be difficult to estimate its value. And when boys or girls go out from a home where a healthy social atmosphere prevails and where love and friendship reign, how the home training helps them in meeting the stern realities of life and how it fortifies them against bad influences and evils of every grade and character and helps arid strengthens them to carry their own social habits into the circles where they move, thereby elevating and benefitting society wherever they are brought in contact with it.

Society everywhere needs the beneficial effects and uplift of social culture, in its purest, simplest and most elevating form, and nowhere is it more needed than among the farming class in the rural districts. The distance that separates them and the few occurrences that are calculated to bring them together place them at a greater disadvantage for social culture than almost any other class of citizens. In earlier times it was different. The barn and house raisings, the wood choppings, log rollings, husking frolics, wool pickings, quilting bees, apple parings and other gatherings along these lines brought the farmers and their families together frequently; but the times, customs and habits among the rural population have so changed that other things must be inaugurated and instituted to take the place of those that have fallen into disuse, and among the things that have been organized that helps to meet this felt want is the Farmers' Institute It is true that the Farmers' Institute was not started for the purpose of affording an opportunity for the farmers and their families to meet for social culture, but it opens up the way for that very thing, The farmers and their families need something that will bring them together where they have a common interest, where the subjects under consideration and the themes discussed are along the line of their business, and this is just what the Farmers' Institute was designed to do, and just what it does. It holds a place in this regard that is unique and different from most other organizations. The very fact of our coming together where we have a oneness of naturally produces a kindred feeling, and strengthens the social tie that binds us together, and leads us to improve the present and prompts us to seek future opportunities for social intercourse with each other.

But important a factor as the Farmers' Institute is in creating friendship and promoting social culture among the farming class, there were other interests that made it a necessity and called it into being. Much of our soils were so worn and impoverished by continual cropping and -lack of proper management that the occupation of farming was growing less remunerative every year and hence some of the wiser and more progressive among our agricultural men saw that something must be done, and they began to cast about for some plan which, if put in operation, would counteract the tendency of our generation following in the footsteps of its predecessors, ignoring all scientific laws and plowing and sowing, and reaping in the same manner without intelligent thought as to the time and ,manner of sowing, the proper rotation of crops, the saving and applying of manure, the rise of commercial fertilizers, and the using of clover and other leguminous plants to build tip the impoverished soils' and thereby increase their fertility.

After careful deliberation and thought, the combined wisdom of those having the matter tinder consideration brought forth the Farmers' Institute to meet the demands of the hour. Legislation was soon secured and plans inaugurated to ,give every county in the state of Ohio a Farmers' Institute that would avail .itself of the opportunity. A few years after such legislation was secured, the farmers of this vicinity met and organized a strong working society that met once a month for several years, during which time nearly every phase of agricultural pursuits was discussed by members of the society, and in addition to 'the lectures and papers and discussions by the borne talent, the State Board of Agriculture has sent us two able lecturers each year since we organized, hence we have had line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, all through a period of nearly ten years.

All the seed thus diligently sown has not been productive. Some of it fell by the wayside and the birds, of indifference picked it up; some fell on stony ground and sprang tip immediately, but soon perished on account of the shallowness of the soil. But some of it, and we are inclined to believe that much of what was sown, fell on good ground and brought forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some even a hundred fold.

The beneficial results of the teachings and discussions of the Farmers' Institutes derived by its have come so gradually that some may have failed to observe them, but they have come all the same. Had some competent individual of keen observation and good judgment circulated among our farmers during some years just previous to our organization, and now after the lapse of ten years were to come again, lie would see a vast difference in almost everything that per tains to farm interest, especially among the class of farmers that have attended the institute meetings with the view of being profited. He would see an improvement in the appearance, and convenience, arid comfort of the homes and outbuildings, better stock, better housed and more economically fed, better fences, better agricultural implements more manure saved and more scientifically applied. He would see the soil better prepared and an improvement in the cultivation and yield of the crops. Of course he would find some of the farmers following in the old beaten track, doing just as their ancestors' have been doing through generations past. True, some among the old class of farmers that were industrious and persevering were prosperous before the Farmers' Institute was organized and are prosperous still, but the majority of those who have kept shy of the Farmers' Institute are reaping the consequences, and must change their methods .if they ever succeed to any great extent.

Now, just how much actual cash the improved methods brought about through the teachings of the Farmers' Institute has put into the pockets of the farmers of this vicinity I am unable to determine, but of the fact that their bank accounts have been enlarged and their material wealth has been greatly increased, in the betterment of their farms and other things that pertain thereto, I have no doubt. But after all that we have gained or learned thus for, it is evident that the goal of attainable perfection is still a long way in the distance and it behooves us to buckle on the armor anew, and if others are determined to do business in a loose, slipshod manner and farm with a hop, skip and a jump, and shut their eyes to the changed condition, ignoring all scientific laws arid improved methods and persist in keeping in the old ruts we cannot help it. We must use the foothold of knowledge already gained to help us climb to a higher altitude of efficiency and progression, and never cease our efforts or slacken our speed until we have reached the attainable summit of perfection in agricultural pursuits.