60 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Mills, of Story County: I think that the matter of 

 getting outside speakers is a fine thing, from the fact that they 

 are interested in the subject. A good many farmers are not ac- 

 customed to speaking in ptibHc. When you can't get them to 

 introduce a subject, I think by getting outside speakers Hke Mr. 

 King, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Densmore and others, to read a short 

 paper, it introduces the subject and the farmers will get up and 

 ask questions, and the first thing you know you have the whole 

 house interested. I think the outside speakers should be assigned 

 subjects by the local organization, which knows what they want 

 there, and not let an outside organization make up a program 

 and send it to us and make us work by that program. 



Mr. Roy West, of Polk County : I have prepared a brief plan 

 for organization and will present it now. In the first place, a 

 ■dozen or so of our farmers met and proposed to form an insti- 

 tute ; we discussed the c|uestion between ourselves as to the good 

 it would do and decided to perfect an organization, which we 

 named the Polk County Farmer's Institute, composed of not less 

 than forty members who shall be directly or indirectly engaged 

 in argicultural pursuits, and none other are admitted to active 

 membership. I will say, at present, we have a membership of 

 184 paid up members, for which we charge the small fee of 25 

 cents. 



The offices of our organization consist of a President, Secre- 

 tary and Treasurer, and three members, who^ shall constitute the 

 executive board — one from our local members at Boudurant, 

 one from Ankeny and one from Grimes. All officers are elected 

 at the last meeting in December of each year. 



We have three locations in Polk County to hold our institute 

 meetings, and elect one member of the executive board from each 

 point, so as to have an active chairman to call previous meetings, 

 in regard to fixing dates, electing committee on program, finance 

 committee and committees on the different exhibits, and all 

 necessary arrangements for speakers. 



Now, in regard to the amount of money spent, will say, that 

 last year we spent close to $100 at Bondurant. We gave $86 in 

 prizes at Bondurant; $65 in prizes at Ankeny, and $31 at Grimes. 

 Of course, there are other expenses to be met, such as hall rents 



