Report of Progress. 325 



time members ot the staff who are especially qualified to give the 

 information desired. This branch of educational work has been most 

 satisfactory, the meetings being well attended and the interest shown 

 unusual. 



A valuable feature of many of the meetings was the demonstration 

 of how certain scientitic tests relative to soil might be made by the 

 farmers. In this connection the test for acid in soils by the use of 

 litmus paper may be mentioned. Results from this work show that 

 sour soils are quite prevalent and promise a good field for investigation. 



Farmer's Reading Course. 



Last year an attempt was made to establish a Farmer's Home Read- 

 ing Course, but it was not fully organized because of press of work in 

 other directions. At the present time 3,000 young farmers are 

 registered with us and a circular containing 16 pages entitled 

 " Farmer's Reading Lesson, Texture of Soil and Conservation of 

 Moisture" has been issued with the view to giving help, direction and 

 definiteness to the work. Accompanying this circular is another one 

 of eight pages which contains 27 questions, the aim being to draw out 

 the reader and awaken interest. It is believed that the young farmer 

 already possesses much valuable information, which, if drawn out and 

 supplemented, would be mutually interesting and valuable. 



It is our plan to arrange a course of topics having a logical connec- 

 tion and divided into stages of advancement. The study of these 

 topics can be carried on at the farmer's home with a review by corre- 

 spondence, after the Chautauqua reading course plan. If neighbors 

 can form a circle for discussing the subject under consideration, 

 interest and benefit will be very much enhanced. 



The effort has been to give such instruction as will not only 

 promote " agricultural knowledge " throughout the state, but to get 

 parents and pupils in sympathy with the fundamental object of our 

 endeavors, which in all of this work has been to train the intellect, the 

 eye and the judgment with the view to educating the farmer to better 

 methods. 



The educational work which had already been done prior to April, 

 1897, by Professor L. H. Bailey and his associates in horticulture in 

 the western part of tlie state, made it possible to secux'e the co-opera- 



