FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 191 



tual, spiritual and temporal welfare. I would lay more stress upon the first 

 three qualities than upon the last. Although it is necessary to provide for their 

 temporal welfare to a certain extent, it will hardly be necessary for me to urge 

 it upon you. It is now the controlling iniluence with the majority of farmers. 

 The almighty dollar is the main thing they are striving to acquire, and that, 

 too, ofttimes at the expense of honesty. 



What is to be done with tliis almighty dollar? Why, it will be kept for a few 

 years, and then wo leave it to our children. How will it be used then? If those 

 children have been properly educated it will still continue to do good in the 

 world ; but if, on the contrary, their education has been neglected, that prop- 

 erty you have grown grey in acquiring will bo squandered as the spendthrift 

 squanders it, or hoarded as tlie miser hoardes it. 



It would be well if public attention were directed more to this subject. If it 

 could be made practical, I would have a premium offered at our fairs for the 

 best behaved children. I would have another for the best district school; and 

 in place of the premium offered for the handsomest young lady, I would give 

 one to the best behaved one. And so also the family that conducts itself and 

 surroundings according to the best laws of health, should have a little public 

 attention in the way of a premium. 



Now, in conclusion, brother farmers and others, I will ask of you to give this 

 more than a passing thought. If, according to your judgments, there is a need 

 of improvement in your families, let this, the commencement of the new year, 

 be the accepted time to institute the reform ; so that in the end, it will be said 

 of you, " Well done, good and faithful servants." 



DISCUSSION. 



Hon. C. A. Gower, Superintendent of Public Instruction, was called upon. 

 The following is a brief abstract of his remarks : 



In holding teachers' Institutes, it is important that I should know the wants 

 of the farmer, and I hope tliat there will be such freedom of discussion here 

 that I will learn a good deal in this line. No Farmers' Institutes were held 

 when I was a farmer, and this is the first I ever attended. 



In farming there is greater division of labor now than formerly, and there 

 needs to be better information. Tliat which once served well enough, would 

 now drive a farmer to the poor-house 



There is a common impression that I believe to be true, viz.: that we are 

 crowding our children forward too fast. Popular desire is too urgent for press- 

 ing forward. Where one complains that his boy is pressed forward too fast, 

 fifty complain of their children being kept back. 



Mr. Gower recommended a change of the superintendent system. Townshi}) 

 superintendents are often incompetent. If we have examination well done by 

 a board of county examiners, the visitation might be left to the township su- 

 perintendent. The scheme was suggested at the State Teachers' Association, 

 that township superintendents select a board of examiners, and so take it out of 

 politics and leave it to the people. 



Prof. Fairchild spoke of the teaching at the Agricultural College. He ex- 

 plained that the course in English composition and also in French were used as 

 a means of mastering English. 



Mr. N. P. Green gave an unwritten address on the topic, 



