18 



they would shortly introduce in the Legislative Assembly. Senator 

 J. M. Hackney spoke on his bill for establishing a system of rural instruc- 

 tion by correspondence in connection with the School of Agriculture. 

 Senator A. D. Stephens spoke on his bill for establishing a new Agricul- 

 tural High School at Crookston, and Senator J. T. Elwell spoke on his. 

 bill for the enlargement of the Campus. When politicians take such a 

 profound and practical interest in an agricultural college, it is small 

 wonder that its progress and growth are very rapid. Secondly, I witnt sect 

 an instructive example of the way in which the Minnesota agricultural 

 experts are carrying the gospel to the farmer. Some thirty miles from 

 Minneapolis is the village of Elk Eiver. To this place I journeyed in 

 order to be present at the last Farmers' Institute of that sea on. The 

 meeting started at 10 a.m. and went on till 4 p.m., with an interval of 

 one hour. Mr.. Forest Henry, the farmers 7 representative, opened the dis- 

 cussion with an address on " clover/' and he was followed by Mr. A. E. 

 Kohler who spoke on " potatoes." It was interesting to note how these 

 two men kept the grip of the audience for four solid hours ; each speaking 

 for about ten minutes at a time. I was specially struck with the good- 

 fellowship which prevailed between the experiment station expert and 

 the conductor of the institute. Mr. Henry oftentimes interrupted 

 "brother" Kohler with a call for a clearer explanation, but the latter 

 never failed to respond with the utmost patience and most perfect good 

 humour, although this constant catechising at times broke the thread of 

 his discourse. I have elsewhere pointed out* how the Farmers' Institutes 

 bridged the gulf which prevailed between the University and the people 

 of Minnesota, and my visit to Elk Eiver reaffirmed my faith in a great 

 and powerful College of Agriculture as the best means of transmitting' the 

 message of the Experiment Station and the laboratory to the hearths 

 and homes of the farming community. 



Dry- Farming Congress. 



THE CONGRESS HAS BUT ONE OBJECT- THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 THROUGHOUT THE WORLD BY THE UTILIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC AND SENSI- 

 BLE METHODS OF CONSERVATION AND CULTIVATION WHERE 

 IRRIGATION LS IMPRACTICAL OR IMPOSSIBLE. 



* "Agricultural Education in America," Transvaal Agricultural Jot/ rnal, page 2S7. 

 January, 1908. 



