582 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



with these farmers who are meeting with success and you will find that they 

 are thoroughly alive to their opportunities, and when a proposition of any 

 kind is talked, they go to the bottom of things and couple with a large 

 amount of thinking. 



A prosperous farmer was once asked "why and how he succeeded" his 

 reply was: "I understand my busines and attend to it." 



This not only applies to farming, but to all lines of business. 



Many farmers make a mistake in not stopping to consider the condition 

 of soil, weather, etc., and the result is a failure, so far as a financial 

 success is concerned. It is not the number of farmers in this country 

 that make it really great, but the number of good farmers. 



NAMING THE FARMi 



During the past summer while in a conversation with a farmer who owns 

 a good farm of fine Iowa soil, in high state of cultivation, and who has an 

 elegant house and splendid barn on his place, some remarks were made 

 about naming the farm. The proprietor, while he is proud, and justly so, 

 of his farm, did not think it worth while to give it a name. Whats the use, 

 he said, the land won't yield any more, the cattle won't grow any better if I 

 do name it and the neighbors will think I am putting on a few airs. Sup- 

 pose he was right In these contentions, would that be any real objection to 

 naming the farm? A man has a right to be proud of a good farm, he ought 

 to be proud of it, and it has a good efifect upon the public, if they know he 

 is proud of it. I think it a most excellent plan to name the farm and it 

 ought to be encouraged. 



I do not think it really necessary to have a bulletin board up at the front 

 gate, as many of our agricultural papers advocate, yet I am highly in favor 

 of it. 



We should use letter heads on all of our private stationary, it costs but 

 little, it shows thrift, and advertises your business. 



THE FARMERS INSTITUTE. 



While the subject of Farmers Institutes may not come properly under 

 the head of this paper, yet, I feel like touching briefly on a few matters per- 

 taining to institue work. 



In my short experience along this line, I find it difficult to get farmers 

 interested and to take hold of this matter as they should. While our 

 organization has only been started a few years, I feel we have not made the 

 strides we should have done. Much good can be drawn from these meet- 

 ings, if only more of its members would take hold and push, and especially 

 those connected in an official way. While the corn show is an important 

 factor, it is highly gratifying to note the interest taken, and feel sure that 

 much good will come from it. 



The idea has come to me, that our institute should be in connection with 

 our agricultural society, as they are both practically along the same line, 

 they are educators, say; have the same set of ofi&cers for both societies, as 

 one department would throw some light on the other, while this is only a 

 suggestion, and may not meet the approval of our members , I feel it is worthy 

 of consideration. 



