No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 273 



I do not preside at our meetings; I try to see that there is some- 

 body to preside who can do it. I do not pick out the local politician, 

 or some member that is not capable of doing it. I believe that the 

 institute ought to be a source of education and development for the 

 farmer, and there is nothing that will develop a man like making 

 him the presiding officer at some meeting, and it gets the whole 

 farming element in touch with him and gives him an up-lift. 



My brother from Cameron county has given us an original idea. 

 He spoke about holding their meetings in the Court House. I 

 may say that when I became manager of institutes, they were held 

 in the larger towns, two larger towns of Cumberland county, and I 

 think that we would have had to have the ham and the pig to keep 

 up the interest there. When I became manager, I took the meetings 

 out into the country and we have no trouble about getting full 

 houses, and the people we get together are practical farmers. I have 

 lived in the community in which I am now for more than a quarter 

 of a century. I know the county and the people. I am able to select 

 men to compose the local committees that will be interested in the 

 institute work. 



A wise minister will not do anything himself that he can get any- 

 body else to do, and I believe that is the wise principle in the manage- 

 ment of our local affairs. If we can get good local committees, 

 everything nvill move on in good shape. We have our little experi- 

 ences. One man put in a bill for f 5.50 for the posters sent out by the 

 Department. Well, he was without the job the next year. I wish 

 that we could have more institutes. What are two institutes, four 

 days institutes, in the great county of Cumberland ifl educating and 

 lifting them up in connection with this great work. I wish we 

 could have more institutes for the farming element, and if we would 

 stand together for our own interests, knowing what we want, I tell 

 you, friends, that the men who manage things would come and ask 

 us what we want, instead of saying that we can count upon these 

 men to go with us under all circumstances. 



Mr. Kates, being present, was called on by the Chairman. 

 . MR. KATES: Mr. Chairman, it is with a feeling of much timidity 

 that I respond to the suggestion that I say a few words. Unfor- 

 tunately, I don't know enough about agriculture to give you any 

 of my experience. I don't have to know anything about agriculture; 

 Mr. Detrich knows it all. But there was one word used here about 

 twenty minutes ago which turned my thoughts to something which 

 I am somewhat familiar with, which might be used in your institutes. 

 It is, therefore, a sort of a question I am stating. The point that 

 occurred to me was, that when you state that in your institutes 

 it would be advisable to have a syllabus prepared and sent out 

 18—6—1905 



