310 ANNUAI. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



that: conies into my corps. When a conductor can introduce a 

 speaker Milh a jjuarantee that he knows that he is doing that of 

 which he speaks he has done much to insure the man a respectful 

 hearing. Last Avinter I brought a new man into my force. He is 

 a comparatively ])oor man: but because he has one of the best 

 cared for young orchards in New York, an object lesson to the neigh- 

 borhood, and has made a success with poultry, vegetables and small 

 fruits, I was not opposed to trying him out, knowing that if he 

 failed to make good as an instructor he would command respect 

 for what he was doing; for no man can get very far away from his 

 reputation at home. I have known some of the ablest men on the 

 platform, who were favorites wath their audiences, for the time be- 

 ing, whose farming was a by-word and a hissing to their neighbors. 

 And ''their works do follow them," for at a later visit no one had 

 any faith in even the good true things he said; more than that, it 

 marred the effect and effort of any other man in that place, perhaps 

 for years to come. A case in point: Not long ago I followed a man 

 who is exceedingly bright, well educated and I am told an excellent 

 instructor. I knew that he had had little practical experience on 

 the farm, and what he had, w^as not much to his credit. He was 

 en this account eliminated from the force. The i)lace had an excel- 

 lent reputation as a good institute town. There were some local 

 conditions which had rather reduced the attendance: but not enough, 

 it seemed to me, to account for the falling otf from the record of the 

 previous year, and the lack of keen interest which makes a first 

 class institute. I had with me a most excellent force, each one of 

 whom I could swear by as doers, and each well suited to the needs 

 of that community. After the meeting v/as over, a gentleman said 

 to one of us, ''You gave us diiferent doctrine from the man we had 

 a year ago." After some questioning I found what had been said, 

 and then drew out the comment, "We inquired about him and found 

 he had made a failure of school teaching, farming, and everything 

 he had undertaken, and then went to work for the State." I asked, 

 "Did that have anything to do with the reduced attendance and in- 

 terest?" He replied, "Yes, I am sorry to say it did." Comment 

 is unnecessary. I would not for the moment imply that any man 

 who is a success in the thing of which he speaks is a good institute 

 man. Far from it. 



ABILITY TO TEACH 



A man must be apt to teach, but I insist he must first be a success. 

 ^^ e have, as have you, scores of good men, patterns in their com- 

 .11 unities. Some of them are not able or willing to go from home, 

 so no matter what their ability they are not to be reckoned with. 

 Others are able, some are willing, and some are anxious to go, but 

 they lack the training, or the ability to so express themselves, as 

 to be of any benefit to their hearers. 



I have known manj^ such, and they call forth my deepest sympathy 

 and regret. With such I would bear long in the hope that they 

 might, by environment and association improve; but an experienced 

 man can, I think, very quickly tell whether such a man has the 

 power in himself to make him a good teacher. One case will illus- 

 trate this: There is a young man in my state whose work in a cer- 

 tain line of farm improvement and crop growing, I have watched 



