16 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



list is attractive enough to induce him to nibble at it. After he get:, 

 there he may learn something about corn that he never thought of 

 before, especially if he come? in contact with a man like Professor 

 Holden. 



We try to have the evening entertainment of such a nature that the 

 to\\n people will attend. It usually consists of a lecture or address, 

 or addi esses, with some music and occasionally an entertaining elocu- 

 tionary effort by some teacher or pupil, but I have never thought it wise 

 to devote valuable time to mere entertainment except as thrown in for 

 variety. 



1 like to see the farmers' wives attend, and always try to get them 

 a place on the program, but in some communities both are hard thing.^ 

 to bring about. I am sorry to say that some of our foreign-born neigh- 

 bors, although among the best of our citizenship, are slow to learn that 

 the women need recreation and culture as well as the men. 



The most encouraging feature of these county institutes is the 

 increased interest taken in them from j'-ear to year. Farmers are a con- 

 servative class, and when these meetings were first called they acted 

 as if they were taking the measure of the lectures. They wondered 

 if some one hadn't an ax to grind. When they found that farmers' 

 institutes are not quite so high toned as the name indicates and that 

 there was no scheme to be worked they gradually warmed up to the 

 subject. 



Institutes must be instructive, but the fodder must not be put 30 

 high that the common people can not reach it. At these meetings sci- 

 ence should be presented in as simple language as possible. 



Subjects which might excite religious or partisan discussion ought 

 to be religiously avoided, and speakers ought not to be allowed to stir 

 up party spirit or personal feeling. 



The President: I see before me a large number of farmer?, 

 members of the Iowa Instittite. We will be pleased to hear from 

 any of them. Mr. Fox, we would like to hear from you. 



REMARKS BY MR. FOX. 



I do not believe in much more than two thirds of all the good things 

 that have been said as regards the present institute law and the matter 

 of running institutes. I think there is an old adage that the sire is 

 half the herd, and I think that the president of the institute is at least; 

 half the institute. The last gentleman upon the program touched upon 

 that largely. I hope that the secretary of the Clay County Institute 

 will forget that, or forgive me for referring to it. 



I can not believe, as I have just indicated, that the best thoughts,, 

 or the best interests, are brought out by the local discussions. I believe 

 that Professor Curtiss, Professor Kennedy and Professor Holden, and 

 in Kansas, Commissioner Coburn. have done more for the institutes. 



