Show I STUDENT LIFE 43 partinents of Agronomy Live Stock Horticulture etc and lists of subjects sent out from which the local societies could select according to their need This specialization served the purpose of a college curriculum with optional courses Some Institutes have even purchased libraries for the use of their members and provide agricultural literature as a premium of membership Thus the system has grown till it has become one of the nation’s foremost educational institutions This growth has been reflected by a steady increase in the appropriations towards its maintenance In 1891 these aggregated in the United States $80000 in 1899 they had more than doubled being $110000 while no less than farmers were enjoying the educational privileges Last year the grants toward the Farmers’ Institutes approximated $200000 while their range of instruction had extended to nearly of a million farmers Phenomenal as this growth is yet the maximum of usefulness of the Farmers’ ‘Institutes lias not yet been reached The 750000 farmers readied by the Institute system is only 71 percent of those engaged in agricultural pursuits in the country while the 10000 students entered !n agricultural courses at our colleges do not constitute one percent of those who are eligible for instruction However Institute meetings are giving the boys on the farm an insight into the mysteries of the soil into the laws of plant growth and into the wonderful possibilities of animal development This is the only thing that can ever make boys stay on the farm and make its work interesting and profitable to them A little knowledge well imparted always gives a desire for more and we find the Farmers’ Institute system acting as a feeder for our Agriculhalf-a-milli- on three-quarte- rs tural colleges It has been found that a very large percent- age of the students entering Agricultural Colleges were induced to do so by attending Farmers’ Institute meetings It might be to the further benefit of both if Agricultural Colleges and Farmers’ Institutes were more closeSince it is impossible for college ly connected professors on account of their classes to give much time to Institute work it might be a good plan to have meetings taken charge of throughout the State by the graduates of its own Agricultural College This would increase the range of institute work and put the farmers in close touch with the work nd thought of the ‘colleges and experiment stations At the same time it would be of great educative value to our students in broadening their experience along different practical lines of agri- cultural work What the future of Institute work and organization will be it is hard to say but if the advancement keeps pace with what it has already accomplished it w ill certainly be the great motive power in progressive agriculture Things Musical Wouldn’t that blow you? What? Why the College band of course Perhaps they do not make much noise but they are still in the ring and before the season is over we expect to hear more of them Already they are nearly on a par with Sousa’s famous organization and are improving rapidly under Mr Mitton’s etticient leaddrship There are now seventeen pieces in the band including a strong lead of cornets and a battery of trombones besides plenty of bass and harmony The boys have adopted a special insignia con sisting of two narrow red stripes on the white stripe of the trousers and a lyre of white on the sleeve of the coat With concerted practice it is anticipated that before the end of the year the band will organizations be one of the most praise-worth- y of the college and it will well merit the sup- port of the school The new shoes and waists worn by the girls after holidays are very noticeable owing to the great number of them No doubt during vacation the girls applied the instructions received in the sewing rooms |