FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 307 



Education of Farmers' Boys,*' were of unusual merit. Invitations 

 had been extended to the farmers to bring in samples of farm products, 

 and pecks of almost impossible potatoes, strings of ears and stalks of 

 corn, and various samples of grain of excellent quality, vrere exhibited. 

 A fine quality of sorghum syrup was passed around, and each taster was 

 handed a splint of fine grained wood to sample it with. If succeeding 

 farm meetings are as successful, Ogemaw county will gain an enviable 

 reputation for its soil and its citizenship. 



ONTONAGON COUNTY — ONTONAGON. 



The Institute had a very small attendance of farmers. This was 

 largely due to the weather. The week of the Institute having fine 

 weather, had been preceded by cold and snow, and farmers were inter- 

 ested in gathering crops and could not be induced to leave their work. 

 This suggests the idea of holding Institutes in the upper peninsula ear- 

 lier in the season, say the last of September or first of October, anticipat- 

 ing at that time better weather than a month later, and a more conven- 

 ient season for people to get out to such meetings. Ontonagon county 

 has a great deal of good farming land in the valleys, and all kinds of 

 roots, grass, and some fruits grow to perfection. The Institute was well 

 advertised, and the speakers were well received. The evening meetings 

 were well attended by people from the city. Much credit is due Mr. 

 Jas. E. Crooker, president of the Institute society, for his energetic work 

 in arranging for the meeting, and also for his work during the meeting. 

 We think future Institutes held at Ontonagon will show greatly 

 increased attendance and much greater interest than was manifested at 

 this, especially if held earlier in the season. 



OSCEOLA COUNTY — EVART. 



Osceola county has had a number of Institutes previous to this year, 

 and the people knew how to take hold, yet it cannot be said that the 

 audience was an enthusiastic one, though they were interested and 

 took a very intelligent part in the discussions. The most interesting 

 topic appeared to be that of potatoes, which is the staple cash crop in 

 this county, and this in spite of the fact, as Mr. Cowdrey says, "that 

 money that was in potatoes this year is still in them." Osceola county 

 has a class of people and a farming country that ought to insure not ouly 

 a larger meeting, but a very enthusiastic one. A suggestion to the man- 

 agement would be that the Institute be thoroughly advertised during the 

 early fall and winter. 



OSCODA COUNTY — MIO. 



In the afternoon of November 16, the log train on the Lewiston & An 

 Sable R. R. dropped us off at a crossroad in the woods. From here, after 

 a drive of several miles through clearings and plains, we arrived at the 

 village of Mio, the county seat of Oscoda county. The village is beauti- 

 fully situated on the banks above the Au Sable river. The country 

 around Mio is both hardwood and plains. The people came to the Insti- 



