440 BOAKi) OF AGHiCULTUEii. 



President: Mr. J. M. Knox, Vice-President of the Association, will 

 respond in belialf of tlie Association. 



Mr. Knox: Gentlemen of the Association, and Local People— It falls 

 to my lot to respond to this elo(iuent address of welcome. I am poorly 

 prepared to do justice to the address, but, in my way, I express our 

 heartfelt thanks for the hearty welcome we have received. It is always, 

 to my mind, depressing to liave a small local attendance. There is but 

 one lady present; we wish we had fifty to cheer us fellows who are away 

 from home. Their presence and their smiles cheer and encourage us. 

 Plainfield is on the map, and ought to be in big letters. We have two 

 institutions here that the State of Indiana ought to be proud of. We 

 have a Keeley Institute, that has made many a home happy, from the 

 fact that it has reclaimed from the ditches good, honest-hearted men, 

 who have made better men and better husbands by having attended this 

 institute. The President spoke of the Reform School. Here is an insti- 

 tution that is wrongfully named. It may be a reform school, but I think 

 the other institution is the reform school. This should have a better name 

 —should be called by a better name than Reform School; it sliould be 

 called a school of training, or a home for neglected boys. There are 

 many boys who come to this home who are neglected at home; who 

 have not had the proper treatment; who haven't that sympathy and moth- 

 er's care that they deserve, and for that reason I thank God that we have 

 this institution. These young men ai-e growing up to Mil the places of the 

 older men who are bound to drop out. They have a mission to perform, 

 and I am proud and happy to say a good word to chem to help them 

 along in their upward life, the better life; help them to live out the pos- 

 sibilities that are presented to them. I have a neighbor who got his best 

 training in this school. He is now managing a 200-acre farm, and he is 

 one of the progressive men of our community. He had a father and 

 mother who were good to him, but he did not get that sympathy that 

 he ought to have had. He went wrong, and they brought him here. He 

 was stubborn for a tim<e, but he thawed out, and today he is one of the 

 brightest and most intelligent boys we have in our community. He has 

 forged ahead, got a fine family, and proud of his position; and I went to 

 talk to him day before yesterday about this school here, and he says: 

 "Go and say I consider it an honor to be a member of it." And I want 

 to say that we are ti'uly thankful for such a welcome as we have re- 

 ceived. I thank you. 



President: We will next listen to the report of the Secretary and 

 Treasurer (Report will be found at back of book.— Ed.) 



Secretary: As Secretary of the Association, there are a few facts that 

 I wish to bring before you. There are in the State, so far as I can learn, 

 about eighty creameries, of which I know sixty have been running this 



