1902.] DISCUSSION. 79 



have some ideas which the speaker has not brought out, or 

 some question to ask, which will be of interest to us all. 

 Now what have you to say about this? Brother Hale, what 

 have you to say about the farmers' institute in Connecticut? 

 Mr. J. H. Hale. Mr. Chairman : I haven't anything in 

 particular to say about the farmers' institute in Connecticut. 

 I do not think I ever attended but one, and I have forgotten 

 when that was, it was so long ago, but I have some interest 

 in the farmers of Connecticut, as well as other states, and 

 have had the privilege of addressing them and studying their 

 work. I have been particularly interested in the talk of my 

 friend Collingwood. I think there are several just criticisms 

 to be made of the way the average farmers' institute is car- 

 ried on. Some of them Brother Collingwood has referred to 

 here today, but there is still another, and that is the lack of 

 proper advertising to get the people out. The Maine plan 

 which he has referred to is an admirable one, but a better one 

 is a plan which they pursue in the West. In one case I know 

 of, they lay out their work a year ahead. They decide six or 

 eight months ahead just what they are going to do. They 

 decide in the early spring where all the institutes shall be 

 held the following fall and winter, and then they arrange 

 with the local committee to hire a hall and furnish a certain 

 amount of music. They plan during the summer for speak- 

 ers, and they also arrange during the summer months to get 

 the names and post-ofhce address of the farmers in each of 

 those localities where they are going to hold institutes. Two 

 weeks before the institute meets, a circular is sent to all of 

 those farmers. Two days before the institute meets, another 

 is sent. That is to say, a special postal card is sent, calling 

 attention to the meeting and giving from the board itself a 

 special invitation to attend the institute, and to bring their 

 neighbors with them. It is surprising how well that works 

 in some Western communities. In a little back country 

 town they sometimes get an audience of four, six, and even 



