No. 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 159 



been going ever since the foundation of the world. I am spending 

 money to-day and paying expressage, trying this thing and that in 

 the endeavor to improve and to progress, and gentlemen, as long as 

 I am interested in agriculture, I am going to meet with you peop'e, 

 because I believe that it is our duty to continue to move on, to forge 

 ahead, and if a man lives to be as old as Methusaleh, he shall still 

 keep at it, and not be satisfied with the progress made by his ances- 

 tors, but keep right on moving and forging ahead. Nothing is so suc- 

 cessful as success, and the great thing is to hit the mark and to hit 

 it hard, and you have got to strike while the iron is hot. 



Speaking of hitting the mark brings to my mind the story of an 

 old lady going to an experience meeting, and she got up to give her 

 experience and to tell what she was thankful for. Now this seems to 

 be something like a Methodist experience meeting with Brother 

 Hutchison presiding. This old lady got up and said that she was 

 thankful for one thing, and that was that she had one tooth left above 

 and one tooth left below and they hit and I tell you I have learned 

 something which will follow me all the days of my life, and that is, 

 that unless you hit the mark, there is no success. I wouldn't read a 

 poem if I had to go over two or three pages in order to get one point. 

 I can't afford to spend that much time simply to get one point. 

 He has got to hit the mark as soon as he takes up his pen, and that is 

 the reason I like to read after James Whitcomb Riley, the Robert 

 Burns of America; he hits the mark. 



I thank you for the privilege of saying these few words, Brother 

 Hutchison. I know we will all go home and be benefited through 

 what we learn here for the work that is to be done in the future. 1 

 want to say to you as Institute workers, we men on the platform 

 — that the men down in the audience are getting up pretty close to us; 

 don't forget that. I notice that every day in my life. I noticed it 

 right over here north of Philadelphia when the farmers got after 

 Prof. McDowell and plied him with questions as to the difference be- 

 tween rock and bone, and some man asked me a question before I got 

 started, and I stood there for three-quarters of an hour and never 

 said a word of my speech, trying to answer the questions. This 

 shows that the men in the audience are thinking about things and are 

 hitting us close and hard. 



I thank you, gentlemen, for this privilege and I am glad to meet you 

 all and after awhile I will give you all the privilege of meeting me 

 at the door and shaking me by the hand. 



The CHAIR: I see Dr. Rothrock present, and I know we would all 

 be glad to hear from him. Will the doctor please come forw r ard? 



DR. ROTHROCK: Mr. Chairman, I did not expect to say anything 

 this afternoon. I thought you would hear me to-night, and I would 



