No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 257 



speakers are necessary to be successful, because when a speaker 

 shows by his talk that he means and believes, and has done what he is 

 saying, his hearers will accept his statements; whereas, if he is easy- 

 going and tired, his audience will become tired of him the longer he 

 talks. The life of a speaker is a strenuous one, which no lazy man, 

 or one who has failed as a farmer, should covet; but a man may be 

 a *'crank" on some subject which he knows and has worked out suc- 

 cessfully on his farm or plot, and be a good institute worker, pro- 

 vided he is not too crankj' on every subject to be useful. 



The literary qualilications of a IState speaker cannot be too high 

 or great, if he has sense, experience and observation with them. 

 Many of our practical and successful farmers have iioi had the edu- 

 cational advantages they should or would have liked to have had. 

 Yet they succeeded in some branch or line in agriculture along which 

 they read, studied, experimented and observed, till they mastered 

 the subject and became specialists in their work. If a man has 

 grown corn, wheat or potatoes, been a trucker or fruit grower, or 

 raised horses, cattle or hogs, or has been a successful dairyman or 

 poultryman, so that he is recognized as the best authority in his 

 line in that section, and can tell others what he knows in good Ian- 

 gauge, and is a man of good character, he has the qualifications for 

 a State speaker. Because a man has read much on agriculture, and 

 is full of theory as to how things can or should be done, even if he 

 is a good talker, does not fit him for this work any more than a clerk, 

 agent or political farmer with a "pull" is fitted, since such men de- 

 stroy the usefulness of institute work, and never should have any 

 consideration as State speakers. What people want to hear of a. 

 speaker is his experience and observation which enabled him to 

 succed in his specialty, so that they may i roflt by his knowledge 

 and success. 



Granting now that a speaker has succeeded along his line, or 

 knows the subjects he discusses; that he has lived on, experimented, 

 owned or farmed for profit or pleasure, he should know how and 

 where to begin his talks, and how to illustrate them, whether by 

 drawings, figures or story, to impress his hearers, quit when his 

 audience is getting restless or sleepy, though he has not said his 

 whole speech, and not tell the same stories or present his subject in 

 exactly the same way at every institute, that it will not be so mon- 

 strous to his fellow-speakers. 



Another qualification of a successful State speaker is that he be 

 a student and observer, improving himself, not going over the 

 State talking on the same subjects from year to year, after his talks 

 have been published by the Department of Agriculture, and read 

 by many people who attend institutes; and he should adapt his 

 talk to the section of the State he is in. and not tell farmers how 

 to grow something for which their soil is not suited, or advise 

 new things which have not been fully tested, though he may advise 

 experiments. Some subjects may be discussed as "precept upon 

 precept, line upon line'" till farmers hear and practice, but they 

 must not be presented "with stammering lips" by speakers to be 

 ei¥ective. State speakers must be honest, not exaggerate what they 

 have done, or tell what they have not done; not to be too egotistical, 

 must be sober men, and have regard for sacred things. The higher 



17—6—1907. 



