298 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



cussions at this Institute were not participated in quite so freely by the 

 local farmers, although there were several exceptions to this. But in 

 the matter of asking questions, we attended no Institute during the 

 winter at which more intelligent and pointed questions were asked. 

 There was no need to suggest that the questions should be confined to the 

 subject in hand. This is a strong feature of any gathering where dis- 

 cussions are in vogue. The Institute was favored in having a church 

 for its meeting place, which was very commodious and pleasant. This 

 meeting was well attended, as the statistics will show. There was a 

 slight tendency, on the part of one or two speakers, to occupy consider- 

 able time. We believe it is an essential feature of a good meeting that 

 the formal talks be short, not over fifteen or twenty minutes, and that 

 the discussions be the main feature, presenting thus a running fire of 

 questions to the speaker, and giving brief experiences. 



IONIA COUNTY — IONIA. . 



Evidently this Institute was thoroughly advertised, and but for a bad 

 sleet storm on the second day the opera house would have been over- 

 crowded. Even as it was the aggregate attendance at the six sessions 

 slightly exceeded 2,400. The number and character of the observations 

 and inquiries made through the "question box" and in connection with 

 the papers read, showed clearly that the people of this county are fully 

 alive to the necessity of keeping "posted," and that they mean to utilize 

 every opportunity to acquire the latest and best information. Perhaps 

 fruit growing, and the dairy and related subjects, brought out most discus- 

 sion, but with so full and excellent a program it would be futile to attempt 

 to indicate the papers of greatest value and interest. A marked feature 

 of the meeting was the perfect freedom with which, \yhen time allowed, 

 each subject was discussed, no one appearing to have any professional 

 secrets to conceal from his neighbors, and some of the most helpful dis- 

 cussions being introduced by straightforward confessions of failure, invi- 

 tations to criticise, and an evident disposition to sacrifice personal feel- 

 ings in the interest of the common gain. The people of Ionia county 

 have reason to feel proud of the success of their Institute, knowing that 

 it was a merited result of hard work properly planned. 



IOSCO COUNTY TAWAS CITY. 



The land along Lake Huron is somewhat sandy, but a few miles back 

 there is some of the best farming lands. Fruit growing is receiving con- 

 siderable attention here, for which industry the country is well adapted. 

 While the interest taken by those present was strong, the attendance 

 was light, showing that those having charge of advertising and the arous- 

 ing of interest in the residents in the country around the city had not 

 done their full duty. Great interest was shown by those present in the 

 fruit, potato and forage crop topics. The evening session, devoted to the 

 school question, was well attended, and the talks and discussions were 

 very interesting and doubtless productive of much good. 



