8 



ganized, cannot be materially increased and is likely to diminish each 

 year, as these institutions expand their work. The second is, for 

 these institutions to employ a special force of experts who shall be 

 field men, who shall represent them in the institute work, and also 

 be itinerant instructors in agriculture in the intervals between the 

 regular periods of institute service. Such a force could be indef- 

 initely increased, according to the appropriation that could be se- 

 cured for meeting their salaries and expenses. Such action on the 

 part of these institutions would be most advantageous to them and 

 be of great assistance to the institute work. 



The third method for enlarging the force of teachers, is, for the 

 State directors to search out capable farmers who have succeeded 

 along at least one line of agriculture, and train them for institute 

 teaching work. The supply of such men ought to increase each year 

 as better methods of agriculture become known and practiced and as 

 the colleges send out graduates to take up agricultural pursuits. 

 Most of these men have had excellent training along practical lines 

 which fits them for institute work as no mere theoretical knowledge 

 possibly could. They lack, however, an important qualification 

 which every capable teacher of agriculture must possess; the ability 

 to give the reason or explanation of results so as to get at the prin- 

 ciples that control and affect the result. They also need to know and 

 to use ^he exact methods in experimentation and interpretation of 

 the results that the skilled investigator employs. They must acquire 

 the scientific method, so as to be able to present in a convincing 

 way the principles that they advocate. They must adopt the method 

 that takes nothing for granted in an experiment ; that leaves no gaps 

 unaccounted for, and no parts unexplained. 



INSTRUCTING THE LECTURERS. 



Some institute directors have come to see that something must be 

 done to insure that their lay teachers are informed in regard to the 

 present status of knowledge respecting their specialities, so- that 

 there may be no conflict in teaching among the members of the force. 

 With this in mind, the director of one state New York has been 

 assembling for a few days each year his entire lecture force at the 

 State Experiment Station and at the Agricultural College to re- 

 ceive instruction. Last year this course was extended to cover two 

 weeks, during which expert teachers of agriculture science gave 

 lecturers upon their several specialities for the benefit of the insti- 

 tute lecture force. Other states have been doing similar work. 



These courses of lectures were designed for the lecturers now com- 

 posing the institute crops. However valuable such a course So given 

 may be to the existing force of teachers, it will not meet the needs of 



