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59 



conditions indicate arc best, and tlms try to develop some of thein into good 

 institute workers. 



" We find it very dilliciilt to niaintaiu any local iicrnianent organization. 

 Our organizations in the connty are nearly all teniiiorary. for one year only. 

 Where we have [)ernianent local organizations, smli as ilairy or horticultural 

 associations or granges, we work through them and do not try to bring about 

 an independent organization. But where we have nothing of that kind we 

 have some trouble in maintaining a permanent organization. 



"As has been said, the best plan to advertise an institute is to let it a<lvertise 

 itself. We have jiroveii tliat to be true. Some advertising, however, nnist be 

 done, and we find that unless we prepare the notes and editorials a majority 

 of the editors, while anxious to use the material and to promote the institute, 

 do not know what to use. Another plan whidi I have tried is to send personal 

 letters to from od to ."iod farmers living within a r.-idius of a few miles of the 

 place of meeting, and I think these personal letters have a very good effect." 



Mr. Dodson, of Louisiana, spoke of the importance and diHiculty of reaching 

 those who read the pai)ers but little and are not in touch with tlie [irogressive 

 men of their couununities. 



Mr. Huston, of St. Louis, connnended the competitive idea, but stated that it 

 must be handled with tact or it may make ill-feeling. Esjiecially should the 

 institute lecturer avoid acting as judge in competitive contests. lie thought 

 that the matter of advertising could be accomplished with no great expense if 

 pains are taken to iiro])erly rejiort the meetings. 



Mr. Thoburn, of Oklahoma, spoke of the mixed character of the population 

 said varying conditions in that Territory, and expressed high api)reciation of the 

 value of advertising, considering the success in Oklahoma in the matter of 

 attendance as proportionate to the kind and amount of advertising done. 



"Our organizations are permanent; they carry over from year to year, and as 

 the success of a local institute largely depends upon the energy and the ability 

 and the willingness of the secretary, I get them to select the rjght kind of a 

 secretary, who will take care of things and then I help him to do the adver- 

 tising." 



He had found that under certain conditions competitive exhibits served a 

 useful purpose, although it might not lie wise to make it a permanent feature 

 of institute work. He thought special effort should be made to intei-est the boys. 



COUNTY ORGANIZATION FOR INSTITUTE WORK. 



Mr. Latta, of Indiana, In-iefly explained the conditions in ln<li:ina and tlie 

 organization of institutes in that State. 



" The institute act under which we operate makes it mandatory on the insti- 

 tute connuittee to undertake an institute in each county in the State. 



"Another condition that exists there is that the C(»nnnittee of general manage- 

 ment are all men busily engaged in other lines. The institute is not simply a 

 side line, but it is one of different lines these men are occupied with. The 

 chairman of the general committee is president of the university. Another 

 member of the committee is the director of the experiment station, and a third 

 meml)er is a member of the faculty of the school of agriculture and certain 

 administrative duties grow out of that relation. 



" Xow, the purpose in effecting a local organization should perhaps receive 

 consideration for a moment. There are several purposes in view. One is to 

 fit these conditions that I have mentioned, to divide somewhat the lal)or, to 

 share the responsibility, to get the i)eople throughout the State to take some 

 portion of the work, and to enlist as many people as possible in all portions of 

 the State, to learn the needs of the people as fully as possible without going 



