FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART I. 9 



We do not designate when asking a party to take a topic, whether 

 ji shall be written or oral. Of course it all depends upon circum- 

 stances. Some speakers can express their thoughts by a carefully 

 prepared manuscript, and others by speech. 



We do not make the institute an object to exhort farmers to better 

 methods, but as to enable them to teach themselves and take advantage 

 of these better methods. 



We try to overcome the mistake of putting too much time on a 

 l)aper, and too little on a discussion. Sometimes, however, it is im- 

 portant to shut off discussion', and the good judgment and tact of the 

 chairman must see to this. We believe that discussions must never he 

 allowed to drift into immaterial things. We have seen' too many insti- 

 tutes used for rambling exhortation of themselves, their county and 

 State. 



Another great mistake we avoid is having too many subjects. We 

 regard three or four at most to be enough for one session. We allow 

 neither politics or religion to enter any discussion at our institute, yet 

 we had a very tactful man last year who laid out the morals and ethics 

 underlying both, in a non-partisan way. It was so nicely done that 

 the chairman did not have the heart to call the topic off, and it seemed 

 to produce its nice effect in its way. It is needless for me to say that 

 no institute is or can expect to be successful unless the farmers' wives 

 take a part in the program, and it always insures a full house. 



We sometimes offer a prize for the best essay on housekeeping, to 

 be written by young women' of certain age for such a township. The 

 boys from that township will all be there, and also from other town- 

 ships. Oh, those boys, our future men, it is those the institutes are 

 after. 



It very often happens in institutes that those needing the instruc- 

 tions, the talks, the social features, and all the good things that are 

 to be found in a well conducted institute, the most, are the ones who 

 are the least apt to attend. We observed this, and now we have a 

 special committee in each township to look after those who are least 

 likely to attend, and manage, if possible, to get them there at least a 

 part of the time. Get them to bring an exhibit for the midwinter fair; 

 place some small member of the family on the program for a short 

 recitation; teach them the institute is theirs, that it was gotten up for 

 them, and that they have an interest in it. Some one of these incentives 

 will bring them there, and once there the victory is ours. 



Our evenings are devoted entirely to light entertainments. The 

 first evening we have the welcome address by the mayor of the city, 

 which is responded to by a farmer, his wife or daughter. The rest of 

 the evening is given to music, recitations and address by some promi- 

 nent lecturer, etc. 



Friday evening is called the "educational evening." A large num- 

 ber of Clay county teachers are usually present, and the boys and girls 

 from the surrounding country, while the village turn out en masse. 

 For this evening we have a strong address, something that will furnish 

 ear-h one present fcoJ for thought for a long time after the institutt^ 



