REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER. O, 



our opinion that much good has been accomplished through these 

 meetings. They have stimulated thought and discussion. An 

 intellectual apathy too often is the condition of the farmer. He 

 should be stirred to greater activity of thought. From these 

 meetings the farmers gather knowledge which they would derive, 

 or could derive, from no other source. Questions over which 

 they have been pondering are here asked and answered by experts 

 in a manner clearly and easily understood. We believe these 

 institutes will be a great factor in teaching the farmers the use 

 of modern labor-saving machinery, and inducing them to broaden 

 out and adopt new methods of farming, and thereby revolutionize 

 the agriculture of this State. There is no expenditure of money 

 that will give more satisfactory returns. One of the most pleasing 

 features is that the farmers' wives are becoming more and more 

 interested in these institutes. When the dairy and poultry ques- 

 tions are discussed, there are no more interested listeners than the 

 farmers' wives. Our institutes have been characterized, during 

 the past year, by an increased number of young men who are 

 interesting themselves in farm work. It is an encouraging sign 

 for our agriculture that young men are more largely turning their 

 attention to agricultural subjects. 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



The agricultural societies the past season have had a good 

 degree of success. The weather during the fall was very favor- 

 able, for the most part, for the holding of their exhibitions. We 

 believe the character of the work done by these societies is 

 advancing. Special attractions are being dropped out of the 

 fairs, and more attention is being paid to the educative features. 

 We hope there may be further progress in these lines. The fairs 

 should be educative and stimulating. When a farmer has com- 

 pared his herd of cows or his stock with his neighbor's, and sees 

 wherein his neighbor excels, he resolves that he will use every 

 effort between that time and the next agricultural exhibition to 

 so improve his stock that they shall be entitled to the blue ribbon. 



Early in the season a circular letter was sent to the various 

 agricultural societies of the State, suggesting that no premiums 

 be awarded to males kept for breeding purposes unless they were 

 pure bred registered or standard animals, that animals which had 



