No. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 237 



ence. It is the foundation of our wealth, the cornerstone of our pros- 

 perity, and the fruitful source from which we derive our richest 

 and surest revenues." Time and space will not permit us to follow 

 this measure through its entire career, but suffice it to say that 

 after twelve years of determined opposition by its enemies in Con- 

 gress, it became a law in 1880, and for the first time. Agriculture 

 was recognized as a profession by our national government. I have 

 narrated this bit of Grange history because of its close relationship 

 to tlie subject under discussion. 



About the time that the fight for national recognition of agri- 

 cultural interests began in Congress, the Bureau of Farmers' Insti- 

 tutes was inaugurated in this State. This was due largely to the 

 influence of the Grange, both State and National, which had awak- 

 ened in the farmers, both in and out of the Grange, a desire for bet- 

 ter agricultural methods and some practical instruction that would 

 be of assistance to them in their farm operations. The Grange has 

 been the pioneer in fostering agricultural education and in impart- 

 ing instruction direct to the farmers. It has also been a potent 

 factor in securing needed appropriations for Institute work, and 

 for our own State College. Wherever it has shown its hand, its 

 influence has been felt. No other organization has been as potential 

 with the Legislature in securing legislation in the interest of agri- 

 culture, as the Grange. She leads, but never follows. Her motto 

 is ''Onward"; she never goes backward. 



RELATIONSHIP DEFINED 



While the Grange has no jurisdiction over the Farmers' Institute, 

 nor no votes in its management, yet slie wields an influence that is 

 far-reaching. The relationship of the Grange to the Farmers' Insti- 

 tute is not unlike that of the Normal or Training School to the 

 teacher. She recruits the ranks of the Institute Instructors as fast 

 as they are needed. Look over the list of instructors engaged at 

 present, and you will find that fully eighty per cent, of them be- 

 long to the Grange; and, if modesty did not prevent, I would add 

 that the best of them, all belong. Go into the Grange halls scattered 

 throughout the State, and there you will find young men and women 

 discussing questions pertaining to the farm, the home, the school, the 

 State and the Nation, in an earnest and intelligent manner. There 

 these young people will get a training that will be invaluable to 

 them when they go out into active service to tell others of their suc- 

 cesses and their failures. They may not be able to express their 

 thoughts with the same accurate grammatical construction, or give 

 the same rhetorical expressions as the college trained man or wo- 

 man, but they usually make themselves understood, and their mes- 

 sage is generally accepted. Thus these two great agencies for pub- 

 lic good have been, and are, working hand in hand for the general 

 welfare of the people; each working toward the same end — that of 

 creating a permanent Agriculture and establishing a higher type 

 of citizenship in rural communities. 



WORK OF THE INSTRUCTOR 



The work of the Institute Instructor today consists not merely 

 in imparting knowledge pertaining to agriculture, but must, of 

 necessity consider all factors that enter into the various activities 



