HUNGER AND THIRST FOR INFORMATION 253 



joining heartily in that task of promoting the 

 higher education of farmers which constitutes 

 the key-note of the conspicuous success to 

 which the Institute system has attained. 

 Speaking on these topics at the annual meeting 

 of the Canadian Association of Fairs and 

 Exhibitions, held in the city of Toronto in 

 February, 1902, the Hon. John Dryden. 

 Minister for Agriculture, said : — 



The gentlemen looking into my face to-day perhaps do 

 not realize as I do the hunger and thirst that exist for 

 information all over the country — it is not for amusement, 

 but for information. If these agricultural societies will 

 undertake to give this information, they will be ten times 

 as popular as they are to-day, or ever have been. 



This is the work that has been undertaken in these 

 latter days by the Farmers 1 Institute system. The Farmers'' 

 Institute and the agricultural society should be dovetailed 

 together. What does an agricultural society undertake to 

 do by bringing together these animals and presenting the 

 best products ? Some people seem to think the object is 

 that they may give prizes to this man and to the other ; 

 but the giving of these prizes is only a means that is 

 used towards another end. The end and object of it all, 

 as contemplated by the framers of the Act, was to present 

 the proper ideals to the people, so that they might know 

 exactly what was the best thing, and what they ought to 

 produce in the best interests of the country. That was 

 the idea contemplated by the framers of the law. Hut 

 the agricultural society >toj>s there; that is all it can do. 

 I can fancy a voung man who is without information, but 



