No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 283 



man up the back who didn't love his wife, and old man Hall said, 

 "I am the man, I am the man," and old man Hall went away from 

 that lecture with a new thought in his mind. It waked him up, and 

 he said, "I am going back home and I am going to spark Mrs. Hall 

 over again," and he left Scranton, and he went out home, and went 

 into his house where he found his wife hard at work, and he put his 

 arms around her and he hugged her and kissed her, a thing he hadn't 

 done before for fifteen years, and she turned around, and said, "Go 

 away, you old fool, you've been drinking." 



Mr. W. H. Stout gave a synopsis of the following topic which is 

 inserted in full, as follows: 



THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN AND INSTITUTE LECTURER. 



By W. H. Stout. Pinegrove, Pa. 



This subject has been discussed before several previous meetings 

 and is a somewhat complex problem. Acting in the dual capacity 

 as assistant, advance agent, guide, and conveyor of baggage, also 

 taking part in discussious, has offered me opportunities to form an 

 idea as to the duties of county chairmen, and the qualifications in a 

 speaker, before farmers' institutes. 



My remarks are directed more specially to the inexperienced, 

 and such persons as may have aspirations to become famous lectur- 

 ers in the art of arts, the science of agriculture. 



Before engaging as a lecturer, it would be well to learn the nature 

 of the work and be prepared to adapt one's self to conditions, and 

 possess the qualifications necessary to success. Coming during the 

 winter months and the most inclement season, during nil sorts of 

 weather, when it is blowing and snowing, cold and rainy, long drives 

 over bad roads, meeting good accommodations and the reverse, in 

 warm rooms and cold rooms, among all sorts of communities, with 

 plenty to eat, as a rule, generally well prepared, sometimes very 

 indifferently, it is not always the most pleasant occupation. It is 

 not becoming to the supercilious nursery-raised person brought up in 

 luxury, comfort and ease, used to all the delicacies of high living, 

 with servants at command, used to wearing kid gloves and fine 

 toggery, and accustomed to the use of cut glass and silver spoons 

 from infancy. 



The perfect institute lecturer has not yet been developed. Life 

 is too short to learn all the sciences relating to agriculture, and 



