626 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of the same. In even changing the composition of grains so that by careful 

 selection and breeding we may be able to raise corn that will make a more 

 nearly perfect feed in itself. This is not time spent idly. This means suc- 

 cess to those who are willing to accept and cultivate this knowledge and 

 then go home and apply it. And again this is not all. We have here as 

 fine a company of business men as can be gathered together. To be one of 

 them is a pleasure and to know them adds to a man's estimate of himself 

 in being one of them. 



The social feature of this meeting with one another is greatly to be 

 desired. In all, How can a man afford to miss a meeting of this character? 



It is conceded by all that it is a good thing for a man to be up before 

 this meeting and tell his experiences. It helps him in a line he has very 

 little opportunity to be disciplined in — that of thinking on his feet, of 

 being able to put forth the best there is in him at a time when he most 

 needs it. It is hard for a sensitive person to stand before an audience and 

 be perfectly comfortable, and a farmer's business calls him less frequently 

 than any of the professions to such experiences, and it is right that he 

 should become as easy as possible while in such a position. For is it 

 not from among our ranks that the men of the world — I mean men — men 

 that are men in the fullest sense — morally, mentally and physically, come 

 from? Look over the best men of our age, the professional and business 

 men. Who are they and from whence did they hail? They are farmers' 

 sons and spent the greater part of their childhood and youth on their 

 father's farm. 



We grow while we are assembled here together, and it is right and well 

 that we should thus learn to teach and be taught. 



On the other hand, what are the benefits that escape us? In every 

 organization the burden of carrying forward the work of that body is 

 almost invariably left to a very few. The others help by their absence. 

 This may be too true of the institute work, a few leaders have to. carry 

 the burden of making it go, or else it is only half done. One of the great 

 faults is the fact that so often those placed upon the program fail to re- 

 spond and thus disarrange and sometimes have a subject seriously crip- 

 plied for lack of a few hours' preparation. Even though one feels he can- 

 not give a subject the justice it should receive, he should give it time 

 and thought enough to open it for those following in the discussion. 



The way in which we derive the least amount of good from these meet- 

 ings is when we go home and continue in our old mistakes, and do not 

 heed the things we have heard and should have learned. It very often 

 happens that those interesting themselves in institute work are really not 

 the ones most in need of instruction. 



Might it not be an improvement for us to provide lecturers in the line 

 of domestic economy for the benefit of the women? If it is profitable for 

 us to meet and exchange our experiences might it not be pleasant and 

 profitable for them to have a few hours of instruction along this line, being 

 provided with an expert, if you please, to render whatever assistance is 

 possible and make it a pleasing feature of our institute. If this would be 

 a source of enjoyment for the women it would certainly be a pleasure for 



