No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 263 



strawberries came from my garden. We are going to do some big 

 things according to some city enthusiast. Everybody takes hold of 

 this gi'eat agricnllm-nl n]»lift, as some of (hose cily jjcople like to 

 call it. I sui)|)ose some of lliost; persons (liink wa reallj^ will be 

 able to raise strawberries something like that and maybe cabbages 

 of that size, bnt I will tell yon what we will do through the work 

 of these agricultnrnl high schools, we will give boys of this ty7)e 

 and this age, the kind of education the}^ ought to have, and the 

 kind of education, my friends, that they are entitled to, and that 

 T believe it is our business to give them. Mr. Rockwell, who is to 

 follow me, will give some details of the work of his own school. I 

 have not gone into detail very much in connection with some of 

 these things because of the fact that he will follow me. I thank 

 you very much for your attention. 



ADDRESS OF PROF. ROCKWELL 



Mr. Chairman, and Members of the Normal Institute: Will you 

 pardon me at the outset if I should happen to use the pronoun "I" 

 a few times in order to explain my position here? This morning 

 when I first consented to be sandwiched in here this evening, I un- 

 derstood I was to talk to an audience of teachers; but I see in the 

 foreground a body of note-worthy men — ladies and gentlemen — the 

 greater part of whom are experienced lecturers and speakers, and 

 it certainly is an embarrassing position for a man who never before 

 has had any experience in public speaking. A little fellow came 

 on the stage and with a trembling voice he uttered a little piece 

 which was so appropriate to the occasion that I never can forget 



It. lie saiQ . "Speaking pieces, speaking pieces, 



What's the use, I'd like to know; 

 Getting up before so many, 

 When it scares a fellow so?" 



This is my first appearance as a public speaker. I hope I do 

 not make as big a blunder as when I first appeared before the Board 

 of Examiners of the Normal School. Mr. Casey was conducting 

 the examination in reading and asked for some definitions, and 

 finally asked for someone to recite some poetry and make some 

 proper gestures. The only possible thing I could think of, was "The 

 Village Blacksmith." I rose and started and began like this: 



"Under a spreading chestnut tree. 

 The village smithy stands; 

 The smith a mighty man is he 

 With large and sinewy hands." 



Then unconsciously I said this: 



"And the bristles on his brawny arms, 

 Strong as iron bands." 



Knowing perhaps, Casey's humorous side of life, and how he en- 

 joyed a joke on the other fellow, you can judge whether I passed 

 in reading or not. 



