398 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



Giving instruction is only a part of the duty of the institute. 

 Getting information into the practice of the people is the main pur- 

 pose for which the farmers' institute is organized. After the infor- 

 mation has been given the chief work of the institute begins. If the 

 teaching has been the growing of fruit, then in all communities 

 where this has been advised some one should be located to see that 

 at least a few of those who were instructed take up the work and 

 carry it on according to the method proposed. If, as at present, 

 this is left to individual initiative, it may or it may not be done and 

 often, even if undertaken, may fail for lack of proper and timely 

 expert attention and advice. More time and more money should be 

 spent after the lecture in getting it applied than in its preparation 

 and delivery. The discovery of the principle of the telephone was a 

 great matter, and yet getting it into general use was fully as im- 

 portant and a far more expensive affair. Until it was in use it was 

 unfruitful. The same is true of every great discovery and truth. 

 It is valueless until put into use. 



Special attention, therefore, should be given in the future by insti- 

 tute directors to getting the facts that are presented before institute 

 audiences incorporated into the practice of the community. For this, 

 special agents of the institute department should be detailed to see 

 that in some way, either by one or more farmers in the community 

 or independently by the institute department, the thing that is pro- 

 posed is actually undertaken. 



If the " follow up " principle is adopted by institute directors, 

 there will be a curtailing of the number of subjects taught and a 

 greatly increased amount of practice in demonstration of the teach- 

 ing. This will be in accord with the general desire as expressed by 

 the local managers of farmers' institutes in their reports respecting 

 the improvement of the institute service. 



WORK OF THE OFFICE. 



The work of the office of the institute specialist during the year has 

 been in the direction of securing information respecting the condition 

 and progress of farmers' institutes and agricultural education exten- 

 sion in this country and abroad and in preparing copy and editing 

 for publication bulletins, circulars, and reports upon farmers' insti- 

 tutes and agricultural extension work. The office has cooperated 

 with the American Association of Farmers' Institute Workers in the 

 preparation of its programs, reporting its proceedings, and in pre- 

 paring them for publication. It has also cooperated with the Asso- 

 ciation of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations 

 in collecting and tabulating information for the use of the committee 

 of the Association on Agricultural Extension and in conducting cor- 

 respondence as secretary of that committee. 



