520 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



iL. the liistorv of the coimti-v when there has been «ueh a marked iu- 

 terest on the part of iutelligeiit people in the development of the 

 farmer's work. The farmers' institutes have done a great deal 

 towards stimulating this interest, and I think also that the agri- 

 cultural colleges and experiuK^nt stations have had a great deal to 

 do with the great improvement in the condition of the farmer which 

 have so recently taken place. 



I am glad to hear that the institutes are (Joing so well in Penn- 

 sylvania and that they are being attended as of old, the attendance 

 being limited by the capacity of the halls. 



The State Board used to feel, 1 don't know how it is now, that they 

 did not liave very much on hand. As I think over the work that 

 they are now doing in the farmers' institutes, I feel that if they 

 never do anything more than that, they will be of grand service to 

 the citizens of this State. The time consumed in the discussion of 

 the great educational farming subjects has been well-spent. It is 

 certainly a great work that you are doing iu carrying on the in- 

 stitutes, and no more valuable service can be performed than just 

 that service. Information in agriculture is needed and this insti- 

 tute movement is doing more good than any other one thing that 

 is now being done for the elevation of agriculture. 



It has seemed to me that there is another line of work that this 

 Board might take up to advantage, which would certainly give full 

 occupation for the balance of its existence and that is, the better- 

 ment of the agricultural societies of our several counties. This 

 Board is made up of the representatives of the agricultural dis- 

 tricts of the State, and I cannot help but feel that the old Stat§ 

 Board of Agriculture has not done for the little agricultural socie- 

 ties, in the several counties, all that it ought to have done; that we 

 have neglected our home agricultural organizations. The Board is a 

 representative body and these county organizations in the several 

 localities send you as representatives. 



I suppose I am stating the exact truth when I say, that these 

 agricultural societies have been deteriorating in Pennsylvania. 

 They have been getting a little worse every year. Many of them are 

 no longer agricultural societies in any proper sense, but are contri 

 butiug their time to exhibiting fake shows that are disreputable, 

 which ought not to have a place in any decent entertainment.. We 

 have looked on and allowed this deterioration to take place. Don't 

 you think il is time that the Board should lake up the question of 

 the improvement of (he count}' agricultural societies of Pennsylva- 

 nia? I have seen something of what has been done elsewhere, par- 

 ticularly in the Province of Ontario, Canada. The^- are making a 

 great deal of these local exhibilions and societies, in their ridings, 

 v/hich correspond to our counties^ and they are making them educa- 



