Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-03

Twenty-three institutes will be held
in October, most of them i'll the south
end of the state, seventeen Institutes
lin November and twenty-five in De-
cember. fourteen in January and one
in February. An early arrangement
of the dates and programs foretell
better institute meetings.
The enterprise of McHenry, Winnie
bago and Sangamon counties in max
ing an educational excursion for the
young to the University of Illinois is
worthy of being followed by other
counties.
The young peoples experimental
clubs and especial institute sessions
for them, growing out of these eN-
cursions, are broadening the work
of the institute and bringing the boys
and girls into it's meetings.
The efforts made by several coun-
ties of furnishing seed to the boys
and girls for the purpose of growing
corn and other grains to be eXhib-
tied at the county farmers institute,
together with statement of the
methods of cultivation used, the
character of the soil, and the yield
per acre. are proving grand success.
These ideas pushed with energy and
enthusiasm are not only solving the
problem of how TO interest the young
in the institute meeting but they are
making the meetings more attrac-
tive and instructive to all parties. i
would recommend that each direc-
tor endeavor to extend the work on
these lines in every county in the dis
trict.
President Coolidge and your super
intendent attended the meeting
of the American Association of Far
mers' Institute Workers in Washing
ton. ID. c.. and were particularly i'm
pressed with the great work under
taken and being accomplished by
the secretary of agriculture through
the various departments under his
charge. We earnestly recommend
the farmers generally and especially
institute officers and speakers to keep
posted upon the work being done by
Secretary Wilson and to make use of
the publications and other source of
information available from the de-
partment of agriculture at Washing
ton.
1t was evident from the papers and
discussion at this national convention
that the all important need of the
farmers institute work is more eff
ficient institute instructors. How To
secure them was admitted to be an
unsolved problem. Enough compe-
tent workers are not available. They
have got to be developed.
Secretary Wilson informed us that
there were not enough men in the
United States thoroughly educated'
on scientific agricultural lines to sup
ply the demands of agricultural col
leges and experiment stations for in
structors and investigators. This
being the case the farmers institutes
cannot expect much help from the
college of agriculture under present
conditions in Illinois.
Complaints have been made to me
by county institute officers in person
and by mail that they could not Sc
cure the help asked from the college
of agriculture. This is a very unfor-
tunate and seeming unavoidable con-
dition in regard to university speak
ers.,
The experience of the various insti-
tute organizations of the United
States seems to indicate that the best
institute instructors are obtained by
a system of institute management
which gives sufficient compensation
to the institute worker to Justify
him in preparing himself and devot-
ing his time to the work. AS the IL
linois Farmers Institute under pres
ent conditions is practically thrown
upon its own resources for speakers
and their, development, l would rec
Ommend the use of some of the insti-
tute funds in helping to compensate
a speaker or speakers who are will
ing to devote their energies and time
to the work and whose services are
worth more than the county insti-
tutes unaided are able to pay. Such
speaker or speakers. with the subject
to be discussed and the terms to be
approved by the executive commit
tee of this board The speaker. the
subject and the proportion of the eX-
pense to be borne by Illinois Farm
ers' Institute to be submitted to the
county Institutes for their accept
ance if desired.
The board of directors has author
lied the collection of information in
regard to the qualifications and eff
cheney of institute workers through
special reports from the director of
each district and from the president
of the county institutes. If these re-
ports are made conscientiously and
completely we will then be in posi-
tion to take another step in the de-
velopment of institute workers
1 ~,
superintendent of institutes be au-
thorized to invite those speakers who
have proved a special benefit to the
farmers of the state to meet in con-
ference with the board of directors,
at the annual meeting of the board
for the purpose of discussing with
the superintendent of institutes and
the members of the board the meth