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to me that it is to cooperation— cooperation in its tme sense, each working with the 

 other for the benefit of all, and not "making the other fellow work," or what has 

 occasionally heen the resnlt in our country, "working the other fellow"— that we 

 must look on this side of the Atlantic for progress in the agriculture of the future. 



However, it is not of cooperatiqn in its application to the various agricultural pur- 

 suits of the country that I am to speak, ])ut of the cooperation of the institute system 

 with other educational agencies. I must admit that the thought which came to me 

 when this subject first received my attention was that it would first be necessary to 

 decide whether you could have a farmers' institute separate from other educational 

 agencies, or wheiher the institute is not in its nature the very essence of a blending 

 and sifting of scientific investigation, of experimental work, and practical experience— 

 the very fife of an institute consists in the educational agencies which go to make it 

 up. If we take these away we have not even the skeleton of a successful institute. 



ft devolves upon me, therefore, in speaking to this subject, to tell of the various edu- 

 cational agencies which combine to perfect the work of the institute, and in doing 

 this you will excuse a frequent reference to my own country and its institutions. It 

 is probably unnecessary, however, for me to ask your indulgence in this respect, for 

 the history of institutes in any one State or Province is very similar to that in other 

 States and Provinces. We have, sir, in our Province a number of educational agencies 

 which have combined to make, through the medium of the farmers' institutes, agri- 

 cultural education what we find it in Ontario to-day. And some of these agen- 

 cies can well be used to still further advance the interest of the agriculturists. Allow 

 me to briefly state what has been and is being done. 



(1) The institute system must be in close touch with the agricultural college and 

 experiment stations of the State or Province. There are at least three ways in which 

 this relationship can be established and maintained. 



(a) The staff of the college and station were first used as institute lecturers. In 

 fact this is the only source from which institute lecturers were obtained in the early 

 history of the institutes of the Province of Ontario; and I am safe in stating that our 

 agricultural college would not to-day have grown to nearly its present proportions or 

 have attained its present degree of efficiency had not the professors and heads of the 

 various departments engaged in institute work some twenty years ago. On the other 

 hand the institutes would not have attained their present position in the Province had 

 not these men been competent, sympathetic, and hard working. Many an ex-student 

 of the agricultural college when asked what first drew his attention to the college will 

 replv that the lecture delivered by some member of the college staff at an institute 

 meeting first opened to him the benefits and pleasures of a course at the provincial 

 institution. It was these lecturers who first brought the college prominently before 

 the people and resulted in an increased attendance of students who were deeply inter- 

 ested in agriculture because they know what it meant to be practical agriculturists, 

 and not because they had a fancy that they would like to be farmers. 



(61 As the years progressed the professors at the college found it impossible to 

 attend all the meetings that were asked for, so a number of farme.-s who had become 

 prominent because of their success in agricultural pursuits were enlisted in the work, 

 and at present the majority of the institute staff consists of those men who have 

 made a success in one or more lines of practical agriculture. These institute lectur- 

 ers keep in close touch with the college and experiment station, not only by reading 

 the literature sent out from time to time, and by coming in personal contact with the 

 professors and those in charge of the teaching and experimental work, but by occa- 

 sional visits to the college in order that they may see for themselves what is being 

 done in the different departments. The assistance given the institute lecturers by 

 the professors is very much appreciated, and the benefit is mutual. 



(c) Another source of strength and benefit to the institute members throughout 

 the Province is the literature sent out from the college through the Provincial 

 department of agriculture. The institute members (over 22,000) receive these bulle- 

 tins and the annual report and .lepend upon them for direction in the selection of 

 grain, methods of cultivation, classes and types of stock to raise, etc. 



(2) The institutes must be in close touch with all organizations formed for the pur- 

 pose of furthering some line of agriculture. We have the different live-stock asso- 

 ciations (cattle, sheep, swine, horse breeders, etc.), the Fruit Growers' Association, 

 Dairymen's Association, Bee Keepers' Association, Poultry Keepers' Association, etc. 

 It would be impossible for me to even briefly mention the work which is being done 

 by these different organizations and how their work is being brought to the public 

 notice and extended^ through the medium of the farmers' institutes. Allow me to 

 give two instances which will serve to indicate how these different organizations are 

 utilized by the institutes and how the institutes are used to further the interests of 

 the separate organizations. 



