FARMERS’ INSTITUTES. 291 
Dr. Frisselle: As I understood Mr. Gregg in the discussion of this 
matter, I think he gave us the idea that onecorps of institute work- 
ers was sufficient in this state. We hada little discussion this 
morning in regard to putting more workers in the field. There are 
eighty or more counties in the state, and one corps is not sufficient 
to do the work as it should be done. Some here have spoken about 
the work in Wisconsin, and I would like to ask the chair to ask Mr. 
Collins, the editor of the Northwestern Agriculturist, who has some 
knowledge of the situation in Wisconsin, to say a word in regard to 
the matter. 
Mr. Collins: Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: I have been 
interested in this work of extending our institutesin Minnesota, and 
have been in correspondence with parties who are informed on the 
subject, and, before I continue, [ desire to say that there is no greater 
admirer of the work of the institute in Minnesota than myself, but 
at the same time I feel that there is a demand for more of the same 
kind of work. There are eighty counties in the state, and it is im- 
possible for one institute corps to cover it well. The entire state is 
taxed for the support of this work, and the entire state has a right to 
receive instruction from the state. Agriculture in the Northwest is 
undergoing a great revolution, and we who are engaged in the work 
of keeping track of the work of agriculture are interested in know- 
ing that that revolution takes its course. It is impossible for one 
broom to sweep back the flood, and it is impossible for one man or 
set of men to keep this revolution in its proper course. I know of 
no other state in the Northwest which confines its institutes to a 
single corps. All other states surrounding us, all of them, have 
adopted this other plan, and why it is that the conditions are so dif- . 
ferent in Minnesota that we can have but three or four workers in 
the field to teach the farmers that there is something to do besides 
raising wheat or even dairying or raising poultry, I do not know. 
It seems to me there must certainly be more men like Mr. Somer- 
ville. There must be men in all branches of the work who can do 
good, and the idea of having a single corps in the field is like the 
idea of publishing a book instead of a newspaper. It is the contin- 
uous dropping of water that wears away the stone rather than the 
flood. It is the repeated work of educating farmers, getting farmers 
together and talking about and discussing these matters rather 
than coming before them and lecturing to them. If we can get the 
farmers together it will create the work. Here are countiesin which 
there is no great demand for institute work; they do no realize of 
what value an institute would be to them, what it would do for 
them. If we can send one institute corps there, even if it does not 
rank with the present standard, it will create a demand in time for 
more instruction. 
Mr. Gregg: They may have this system of having more than one 
corps in the field in other states, but that is not saying that they are 
successful. I know they are not. Iam going to give you a name to 
back what I am saying. The present director of the Iowa Experi- 
ment Station, Mr. Smith, in a conversation I had with him recently, 
told me the present system of institute workin lowa was an absolute 
