258 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



the morals of State speakers, tlie better, and how and where they 

 spend the Lord's Day, will have its influence also with many people. 

 Farmers who attend institutes are readers of agricultural papers like 

 The Stockman, Agriculturist, Tractical Farmer, Hoard's Dairyman, 

 Breeders' Gazette, Kural New Yorker or other good farm journals, 

 and are wide awake in their occupation; and these men are at the in- 

 stitutes to be instructed further by the State speakers, who are spe- 

 cialists in their lines, and supposed to be model farmers, with every- 

 thing about their farms in good shape, so that visitors to their 

 farms see them "practice what they preach." 



You (hink these qualifications for State speakers are many and 

 high, and so thoy aro. Thou. "\^^hn i* Hufficiont for thpsp things?" 

 Writers for the diltereut agricultural papers are generally special 

 ists in their lines, and many counties in this and other states have 

 men who come up in a large measure to the requirements for State 

 speakers, and these are the men who "will very gladly spend and 

 be spent" to teach the farmers of this State how to better their con- 

 ditions on their farms, so as to keep more of the industrious business 

 young people on the "old homestead," and help the "man behind the 

 plow" the better to hoe his row. 



SHOULD COUNTY CHAIRMAN ACT AS PRESIDING OFFICER 

 AT THE DIFFERENT SESSIONS OP HIS INSTITUTE? IF NOT, 

 HOW SHOULD THE PRESIDING OFFICER BE SELECTED? 



Br Rev. T. J. Fersuson, County Chairman, Cumberland Co. 



Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: I will answer this question 

 by telling you what I have done, and giving my reasons for so doing. 

 There was a day in Farmers' Institute work that a man could get 

 up and make a speech, and that was all that was required; but that 

 day has gone, thanks to our worthy Director. A man must not only 

 tell a thing, but give his reasons for it, and I will tell you what I 

 have done, and why I did it. In a meeting like this we do not 

 expect every one to think alike, or to answer a question alike; but 

 we come to tell one another what we have been doing, and compare 

 methods, and thereby help one another to improve our work. 



My plan has been not to preside when I could get some one else 

 who was capable. You ask me why? Well, in the first place, I do 

 not regard my appointment as County Chairman for the purpose of 

 presiding at our local institutes, but for their direction and control. 

 Our worthy Director, in speaking to us this afternoon, called us 

 "Managers." I rem.ember in his bulletin of 1906, in speaking of 

 the Chairmen, and thanking them, he spoke of them as "Managers." 

 Our duties are not specifically defined, but we are supposed to be ful- 

 filling them when we set to work the greatest forces for good, and 

 secure the greatest efficiency of the Institutes. And I consider that 

 I have managed best when I have some one else to preside. I believe 

 that it is well for the community to have one of their people pre- 

 side. Then men, women and children know him, and it is the local 

 man who will succeed best in arousing their interest. It is a source 



