4 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Then, I think, there is another fact in which our institute system 

 is somewhat defective. The lack of a central organization has resulted 

 'n the proceedings of the various institutes being wasted so far as their 

 neighbors were concerned, or so far as the people of the State were con- 

 cerned. No plan ur.der the ])resent system, has been devised for collect- 

 ing and bringing together and putting in printed form the best things 

 that are given at these various institutes. A great deal of valuable in- 

 formation is presented year after year in the institutes of this State, and 

 particularly in some institutes I know of, where they have the very ma- 

 terial available, and where the entire community takes a deep interest 

 in it, and the subjects presented are the result of a great deal of study and 

 careful thought and preparation. Many of these things would be worth 

 vast sums of money, if they could be brought together in the form of an 

 institute report of some kind and put before the people of tbe Srate. 



Now, the change made in the State Department of Agriculture con- 

 templates something of that kind, but it does not quite reach the situa- 

 tion. Provision was made by the last legislature, for the institute 

 workers to report to Secretary Simpson of the State Department of Agri- 

 culture, and he has the authority and is instructed to make up his re- 

 port from this and other matter which he may consider of interest in 

 connection with such report. The reports, however, are not as complete, 

 not as exhaustive, not as valuable as they should be. I think provision 

 should be made for furnishing as complete and exhaustive a report of 

 these institutes as possible; not with the understanding that it shall all 

 go into Secretary Simpson's report; for, necessarily, the matter printed 

 there will have to be somewhat restricted; but, I think, the reports madf 

 should be very complete, in order that a volume will be put out by the 

 State Department of Agriculture that will be highly creditable and a 

 lasting service to the department, in the form of methods presented at 

 the various institutes. In that way it will be of great help. I believe, 

 in order to bring this about, it might not be out of order, might not be 

 a bad plan, to have the same principle in vogue here that we have in 

 reference to the county fairs of the State; that is, that the secretary 

 shall make that kind of a report, and that the securing of an appropria- 

 tion shall be conditioned upon that kind of a report, the same as it is 

 in reference to the county fairs. That will not be necessary in a 

 majority of the cases, but it is necessary in some cases, and in order 

 that unformity, in order that any institute organization may be properly 

 represented. I think this report should be made to the secretary, and 

 that the report should b« made before the money is paid out, so 

 that not only the people of that locality may receive the benefit, but 

 the people of the entire State, and I am sure that plan will result in 

 a series of reports of institute work, and the proceedings of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, and when the system is properly perfected and 

 the organization made complete and strong, as it should be, it will make 

 these reports of such demand that it will be necessary to very greatly 

 increase the edition. I understand now that the edition is limited, that 

 it is not as large as it should be. 



