268 ANNUAL, REIPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



teachers in the matter by placing their names on some committee, 

 and where feasible have one or two of them on the program 

 for a short paper. Make a very special effort to have the school 

 directors, teachers and County Superintendent present at the Educa- 

 tional Session. Impress them with the fact that at no other meet- 

 ing can they meet the patrons on as democratic a basis as at the 

 farmers' institute and also with the fact that the State, through the 

 Division of Farmers' Institutes, is making special efforts to assist 

 them in rural educational betterment in all its lines. Do all in your 

 power to get their active co-operation and almost invariably you will 

 succeed and the Educational Session will be a success. Insist that 

 this session be devoted entirely to work for rural school and educa 

 tional improvement. 



Let the township high school, centralization or consolidation of 

 rural schools be the leading topics, but do not forget better teachers, 

 better houses, better sanitation, length of school term, school gar- 

 dens, school libraries, agriculture in the rural schools, and many 

 other topics of vital importance to every school man and every 

 patron. 



I care not if you succeed in teaching every one how to grow 50 

 bushels of wheat, 100 bushels of oats, 200 bushels of corn and 5 tons 

 of hay to the acre; how to make every cow yield over 500 lbs. of 

 butter per year; how to make swine weigh 300 at six months; 

 how to make aheep net 20 per head; I say though you succeed 

 in all this if you fail to give 3'our children a proper opportunity 

 to broaden their mental horizon; if there is no good foundation of 

 physical, mental and moral training to start it will be woe, woe to 

 the future of our country, because all your fertile acres and all 

 your fine cattle avail nothing when good men and women are lack- 

 ing. Indeed -^'hen we come to consider the matter seriously the 

 rest of the work seems insignificant as compared with the future 

 welfare of our children and our great Republic. I repeat, let us do 

 all in our power to strengthen and widen the scope of the Educa- 

 toinal Session of the Farmers' Institute. 



WHAT RECOGNITION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO MUSIC AT 



INSTITUTES? 



Bv Joel A Hkur, MiUhall, Pa. 



1. The primary object of Farmers' Institutes is instruction. This 

 should be the leading thought in the minds of the instructors. 



2. The value of the instruction is measured largely by the way it 

 is received by the audience. 



3. In order to have an appreciative audience for any great length 

 of time, there must be some variety in the exercises — a little spice 

 — a little seasoning. 



4. To him who has a musical ear there is nothing that will relieve 

 the monotony of the exercises as effectively as some choice music, 



