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The subjects that can be successfully studied in institutes for 
young people cover a wide range and may ultimately include the 
entire field of rural life. Since the institute is dealing with boys 
and girls who for the most part are without much experience, and 
while the subjects studied must be treated in a way to be intel- 
ligible to them, yet it by no means follows that because the pupils 
are not of full age the teaching and the truths taught must be cor- 
respondingly elementary. 
While the farm presents problems most complex and difficult 
to be thoroughly understood, on the other hand many of its opera- 
tions are apparently so simple that they seem to require no partic- 
ular thought or skill for their performance, and consequently come 
to be regarded as of minor importance. Many of the manual 
processes are of this character. They are largely matters of 
practice, or operations repeated until a degree of dexterity is 
acquired in their performance. The general lack, however, of 
both knowledge and skill on the part of many of those who engage 
in these everyday operations is very marked when their per- 
formance by an ordinary worker is compared with the rapidity and 
perfection of their execution by an accomplished expert. With a 
view to improvement in this direction the institute for young 
people should offer prizes for superior skill and proficiency in 
manual processes, and should hold competitive exhibitions at 
which dexterity and skill would be recognized and rewarded. 
In order to increase interest and at the same time to instruct 
young people, the gathering of collections provides a valuable 
means and should be encouraged. Specimens of rocks, soils, 
grasses, grains, weeds and weed seeds, vegetables, flowers, fruits, 
insects, etc., furnish material for such collections. 
The list of contests also could be extended to the preparation of 
papers and the holding of oral examinations upon subjects re- 
quiring wider culture, knowledge, and experience than those just 
mentioned. Such a list might embrace farm management, orchard 
management, landscape gardening, vegetable gardening, flower 
gardening, practical housekeeping, the preparation of balanced 
rations, also papers upon local history, on the local fauna and 
flora, local geology and geography, local laws, local markets, sani- 
tation, etc. 
In addition to the subjects discussed in the meetings, the in- 
stitutes for young people should outline courses for home reading, 
taking up definite groups of subjects or lines of work, and should 
assist the readers in obtaining bulletins and other publications 
from their state experiment stations and the United States De- 
partment of Agriculture. The institutes might also include a brief 
systematic course in the generally neglected but most important 
subjects of farm bookkeeping", local laws, local history, farm man- 
agement, etc., and they might discuss the advantages and opera- 
tions of cooperative associations organized for the purpose of buy- 
ing and sellino: and for securing the more economical transporta- 
tion and distribution of farm products. 
