No. 4.] BOARDS OF AGRICULTURE. 23 



prosperity of a town adds to the opportunities for pros- 

 perity by all its citizens. 



The educational work of boards of agriculture is the line 

 of work susceptible of the greatest development of any. It 

 is not within the legitimate province of governments, either 

 State or national, to help the tanners except by adequate 

 instruction to enable them to intelligently help themselves. 

 This educational work is of so much importance that it will 

 constitute the main feature of this address. 



This educational work is easily subdivided into three 

 classes, — institute, school and college work. The insti- 

 tute work of the boards of agriculture in all the New Eng- 

 land States is an important feature of their duties, and is 

 increasing in extent and usefulness each year. Boards of 

 agriculture aid the farmers in this direction very materially, 

 and their efforts are better appreciated than ever before. 

 Much has been learned by institute managers in regard to 

 qualifications of speakers for such occasions. They have 

 learned that there is no demand for the political schemer, 

 who wants to boom himself for office ; for the inveterate 

 talker, with more words than ideas ; or the learned scien- 

 tist, who may be familiar with every principle of his subject, 

 but as ignorant of their application as the new-born babe. 

 The man who attempts to interest farmers should be a 

 practical man, and have experience along the line which 

 he discusses. He should have sufficient theory to give in- 

 telligent reasons for his statements, and should be a special- 

 ist. When a speaker comes before an audience of farmers 

 and tells them the most profitable method of doing certain 

 things and the reasons for it, and is then able to say, " I have 

 tried this, proved it and made a success of it," the farmers 

 are at once ready to place confidence in his statements, and 

 become interested in the subject under consideration. Col- 

 lege professors sometimes fail to recognize the fact that 

 farmers' institutes require different instruction from that 

 given a class in college, and are sometimes entirely lacking 

 in the practical application of the theories with which they 

 are so familiar. When they are familiar with the practical 

 application of the principles enunciated, college professors 

 are valuable institute workers. The point we desire to 



