Governor Hughes has recently signed a bill which provides for putting 

 agricultural instruction into rural high schools. 



"Our honored Secretary told you what is altogether true; too 

 true! He said that the schools have been taking the youth away 

 from the farms. Now it looks as though conditions were about to 

 be restored to where they ought to be. The students from farms 

 may learn farming in their own schools if they choose to do so. 



"Then we have about eight hundred agricultural organizations 

 in the State. We have a number of splendid agricultural papers which 

 are finding their way into the farmers' homes every week. Best of 

 all, we have thousands of farmers who to-day are making splendid 

 successes. If you could visit the homes of some of these men, steam 

 heated, containing some of the most modern improvements, and ride 

 in their automobiles, you would see an encouraging side of farm life 

 to say the least. 



"One of the latest forces is that all the railroads the New York 

 Central, Lehigh Valley, Erie, Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg, Dela- 

 ware, Lackawanna & Western I am sorry I began naming them ; 

 I am afraid I will leave one out, and my railroad friends would be 

 offended. These railroads are taking a great interest, a change in 

 its way are taking active steps in attracting attention to the brighter 

 and better side of agriculture. 



"Gentlemen, the conditions are improving. We have started on 

 the upward grade. The tide has turned. There is no better evidence 

 of this than a little piece of work I have here. We issue every three 

 months a bulletin like the one I hold in my hand, with lists of farms 

 for sale in the State of New York. Within the last three or four 

 years $4,000,000 worth of those farms have changed hands, and during 

 that period we have noticed a tendency for the values of farms all 

 over the State to increase. I wish that Secretary Wilson would come 

 to Albany to speak to some of the Finance Committees of the Legis- 

 lature. I assure him I have never been scolded yet because I do 

 not ask for enough for agriculture. Last year the appropriation was 

 . $1,600,000, and just to show the interest in the subject I may say 

 that bills have been introduced this year which, if possible, will carry 

 appropriations for agricultural purposes of more than double the 

 amount appropriated last year, coming near to the four million dollar 

 point. 



"The farmers are just beginning to take new hope. Perhaps I 

 have emphasized the bright side a little too much. I hope not. There 



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