No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 333 



of the county — of course they were entitled to one. I was loath 

 to go there, for I could hardly speak a word of German, and could 

 understand but little of it; there was among them not over a dozen 

 farmers that knew what an institute was like, or what it ought to 

 be. At our first meeting I could see no way out, only to give them 

 a session or two, where they could discuss such questions as they 

 chose in their native Dutch, and I provided speakers for them who 

 were competent to handle their subjects in their native tongue. 

 The plan took well, and from that time on we have had no more 

 earnest supporters of our institute work than these Pennsylvania 

 Dutch, Several institutes have since been held there. I have some- 

 times thought it would be wisdom on the part of some of our State 

 speakers if they would take a few lessons in the school of adapta- 

 tion, as their teaching, I am sure, in certain localities would be 

 much more appreciated if they could get down in close touch with 

 the people. I have attended institutes, and so have many others, 

 where, seemingly, no preparation whatever had been made, where 

 the speakers, when landed at the nearest station, found no one to 

 meet them, in fact could find no one that knew anything about it. 

 After securing a conveyance to carry them two or four miles, they 

 finally found a cold hall, where the chairman was just building a 

 fire, and not more than a dozen farmers on hand with the time for 

 opening already past and seats all covered with dust, not fit for men 

 with decent clothes, to say nothing about the ladies. Now, the 

 chairman was a good, clever soul — but not an up-to-date institute 

 worker; but such cases we are glad to know are very rare. That 

 such institutes are not profitable, either to the community or De- 

 partment, goes without saying, and neither the chairman or com- 

 munity have any claim to expect great results. I apprehend that it 

 is to remedy some of these defects and better some of the existing 

 conditions that the Director has brought this subject to our notice, 

 and this matter up for discussion, thus hoping to aid each county 

 chairman to do his best in preparing for and conducting our insti- 

 tutes, that our farmers and their families, in fact all who attend, 

 may get the greatest possible good out of them. The benefits al- 

 ready derived by the farmers of the State from these institutes are 

 beyond computation; yet there is great room for improvement if 

 all interested do their full duty. 



One other suggestion, and I will bring this rambling talk to a 

 close. It is this: The county chairman should make it a point to 

 always be in close touch with the Department of Agriculture — es 

 pecially with the Director of Institutes, who is ever ready to aid ua 

 in all matters pertaining to the institute work, and is only too glad 

 to do so. And he also has a right to expect every county chairman 



