01: Report of Farmers' Institutes 



understand its provisions. Of course evidence of this kind has a 

 tendency to weaken our case. This plea of ignorance is made 

 in violations of the other laws as well as the apple packing law. 



There are two ways of enforcing our agricultural laws : first, by 

 hiding foT the purpose of catching someone whom you at once fine 

 $50 or $100 ; second, by educating the public in the regulations of 

 the state, at the same time requesting their cooperation in the en- 

 forcement of the law. I like the latter, and, while I do not intend 

 to abandon the former method, I wish to emphasize the educa- 

 tional method. 



AVAILABLE AGENCIES FOR EDUCATIONAL AVORK 



In addition to the press, the Department of Agriculture has 

 three available agencies for educational work of this kind : 



1. Through the agents in the field. Each year copies of the 

 individual laws are printed and sent to the agents, who distribute 

 them to the best of their ability. An agent in the city of Rochester, 

 for example, leaves a copy of the pure food law with every retailer 

 of pure food, with a request that such retailer examine its con- 

 tents. A record is made of the fact that this agent left a copy of 

 the law with the said retailer on a given date, and such record is 

 filed in the department. If this retailer is found later to be a 

 violator, the plea of ignorance loses much of its weight. 



2. Through the county fairs. If the Department of AgTiculture 

 could place its exhibit at some of the county or town fairs it would 

 be able to disseminate, through these organizations, information 

 reo'ardiuff the law. 'No definite or svstematic work in this line has 

 been attempted as yet. 



3. Bv means of the institutes. Of the three agencies men- 

 tioned, it seems to me that the Farmers' Institutes are the most 

 effective to inform the public regarding the provisions of the law. 

 Last year the institutes reached over 111,000 people in the state of 

 New York. 



SUGGESTIONS FOR INSTITUTE WORKERS 



It seems to me that the opportune time has arrived to start a 

 campaigii to instruct the public in the provisions of the law, and 

 such a campaign is planned for the institute workers this winter. 

 At every institute I want the department representatives to call 

 attention to the laws which concern the people of that locality. 



