"Diet makes the man;" how much more important that the growing boy or girl should have the food suited to their developing bodies. There is a bake shop near by, the girls spends all her pennies for a sweet morsel; how about the boy? the stimulant and the cigar. Hunger is a good guide, but it also leads into all sorts of experiments and temptations if guided by ignorance.

Atwater, though teaching a dangerous sentiment, is right when he says that alcohol is a food, and just here is one of the strongest arguments in favor of cooking schools and noon-day lunches. Something must take the place that should be filled by suitable food, for a poor meal is easily supplemented by the glass of beer. People who know and study statistics say that more is being done for the temperance cause in the cooking schools than anywhere else.

The practical demonstration of a theory must prove its soundness and I am going to give in detail a little that is being done in a cooking school. It is scientifically established that the body requires a certain amount of proteid, nitrogenous food in a day, three ounces; 12 ounces of sugar and starch, three and one-half ounces of fat, one ounce of mineral and about four pints of water; this is an average amount for a person engaged in moderate labor. Of course we can not weigh and measure every proportion, but the aim is to give a good wholesome lunch suited to the needs and appetite of the average boy and girl.

The cooking classes prepare the food and each girl takes her turn once a week in serving. There are generally three courses, always soup of some kind, and just here is a lesson in learning to like soup and a good variety to be cooked; sandwiches of fruit, nuts, cheese, etc., follow the soup course, generally a light dessert finishes the meal.

Cocoa, if desired, and occasionally a meat course for variety and desired proteid. Eggs, of course, are too expensive, and the milk is in the cream, soups and cocoa.

The charge for the lunch is 10 cents, and during the cold weather the average number of pupils taking lunch has been 60. Tee department supports itself. If those who bring a cold dinner wish it there is soup for 2 cents, chocolate 3 cents, served by a girl in her neat cap and aporn. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating," and the girls watch the plates to see how their cooking has been appreciated.

Then the important feature of doing something for some one else and of making a dish large enough for a meal, the dignity and usefulness is worth while, and the object and aim of all training is development, and self control comes with doing and the acceptance of responsibility.

The girls learn lessons in economy and the proper use of plain food materials; prices are estimated and food values counted. Too be sure there are many objections to serving these lunches by the classes, principally because it takes so much time. It surely does take time and is hard work for the teacher, but it is also an educator from several standpoints.

Serving lunch Janesville, Wis., High School by members of class in Domestic Science.

There is no successful labor that does not involve sacrifice, and little by little with unlimited patience must these problems be solved. Begin with the girls we must, for women are conservative and old experienced cooks are slow to accept innovations of all kinds. Our agricultural schools are training young men for farmers, but where are the young women who are willing and capable of being farmers' wives? Not as many girls take the training as boys. There is a lack of respect and appreciation of the dignity and science in domestic affairs among women themselves, and girls by long habit are educated to feel that there is more respect shown for a clerk, dressmaker or school teacher than for a girl in the kitchen. I must admit that there is, and just here women are to blame for the condition of domestic service. They must honor and appreciate the home science if they expect girls to do it. The cooking and sewing in schools may not wholly solve the problem of domestic service, but it is a step in the right direction, and we need the coöperation of every woman and man.

The girls like the work in school and it is a rest and change from other class work. Even the dullest girl takes pleasure in her cooking and sewing; just the other day a girl said to me, "I like the shirt waist I made better than any I ever wore, ,"she enjoyed the satisfaction of having made it herself, drafting the pattern and all. Often I hear, "I tried the recipe at home and every one liked it." These are only a few of the things that give the teacher courage to go on.

Many of the principles involved in the study of foods could be taught in connection with other studies. Geography and the food products of each country. Physiology and science of digestion and uses of foods in the body. Chemistry and the composition of foods. Arithmetic and values of materials, there are many and some of them should not be separated. These things should be and could easily be taught in the country schools, and without expense if the teacher were prepared, the sewing could be put in every school if only one afternoon a week.

Such lessons learned in class and then the practical application made in the kitchen and sewing room, the subject becomes one of unending interest.

Every person should make it a duty to know something of the uses of food in health and sickness. "Plain living and high thinking" some one says, "is today only theoretical, a statement handed down from the "May Flower. 99

I would like to preach the doctrine of frugality in every home in the land, not only of food but of time and strength. There is so much to be done in this world, so much to study and read, so many clubs, such a great big, busy place, the home, the center of all suffers.

Women, and men to, do not stop to consider how important or serious the study may be made, or how useful, not only from the practical but the theoretical and educational sides of the subject.

Mrs. Richards says, "I believe that the duty that lies next is the instruction of all the people, in food values, and the inculation of respect for the body, and the office of food as a means to an end, and that end the highest duty of man."

Vocal Solo "WhenT hou Art Near," Lohr, by George Nelson Holt.

The Chairman:-The unit of organization of the school system of Illinois is the Township. The unit of taxation for school mantenance unfortunately is the school district, but the real unit of work, the force which makes things move especially in all things that relate to the country is the county, and the school of the good county will be progressive and doing better year after year according as the County Superintendent is good. This county of Winnebago has been fortunate for a number of years it is selecting for the important work of the county superintendent men of quite unusual knowledge. Men to whom it seems to be natural to strike out into new paths.

The predecessor of the present incumbent Mr Kennie had a flag on the flag pole attached to every school house in this county some years before the Legislature every thought of such a thing as enacted a Flag Law. I mention this simple as an instance.

The present County Superintendent of Winnebago County is a young man just entering upon the last quarter of his first term. He is a new man in the sense of that business, but a new man who took hold of his work the first day for all the world as though he had worked at it all his life and didn't know how to do any thing else. When it came to his knowledge that about two thirds of the schools of Illinois were without libraries it accurrs to him that Winnebago County should not remain in the ranks of the majority very much longer. To day out of the 12,852 schools in this state, I should have said last July for the figures are different today, 6,422 had a little collection of books for the children to read, 6,430 remained without such a collection the first of July. The figures have been very materially changed since that date and I think when the next count is made it will appear two schools have libraries for everyone without. I simply want to cite Mr. Kern's way of getting at this library work as an example. It occurred to him last summer at the time of graduation of the young people from the eighth grade that it would be a good plan to have five or six in all instead of bringing them all to the County seat and having practically no one present but the children as so often happens, and in carrying out his plans for these graduations it occurred to him to permit the people who came to pay ten or fifteen cents at the door and the permission was made use of to such an extent that when all expenses had been paid Mr. Kern found himself with a balance of $300 to the credit of his library fund which was not more than half bad. It seemed to him, however, that it was not more than half good and so he went to the Board of Supervisors of Winnebago County with the $300 in one hand and the other emply and suggest the balance could be maintained better if they would put $300 in the other hand. Winnebago County has a very remarkable Board of Supervisors and Mr. Kern found himself with $600 to the credit of his library fund. With that he has been able to duplicate one of the cases of the traveling libraries of this association forty times. That $600 lacks $125 of being one fourth of the sum appropriated by the General Assembly for the entire State of Illinois. That is Superintendent Kern and the Winnebago County Board of Supervisors are able to do one fourth as much as the whole State of Illinois does in that direction. I mention this because I think it ought to be mentioned. That little scheme is worth general circulation. You don't know ladies and gentlemen, you can't know unless you have given your attention to it how much this means. You don't know how hungry, you who have plenty to read, these teachers and school children are for something in this direction.

You remember seeing in the papers the account of the little girls in Coles county that wanted a library. They had no other way to get it and the little teacher of that school took Saturday and with eight girls in each school they borrowed a wagon and a team and the sideboards for the wagon and the eight girls and the teacher went out into the country and the first farm they came to they drove in and said to the farmer: "Will you give us five bushels of corn if we will husk it ourselves?" and the farmer said: "Huh", and the girls said: "Will you give us five bushels if we husk it ourselves?" and he said: "Take all you want" and the next farmer said take all you want and the next and by and by the wagon was full and the girls drove back to town, and mixed corn this year, judiciously mixed was worth 32 cents above the market price in that town and the girls had $20 for the books and they were pleased over their Saturday holiday.

Delegate: That school is in Moultrie county.

I have never been quite able to locate that school. It is on the line between Moultrie and Coles and both counties claim it.

The last letter I read before coming, came from a county superintendent of Grundy county and womanlike she had put a postscript and said I think you will be interested to know we had a basket social in such a district the other evening and the next result was $90.14. What do you think of that? It is going on all over the State. They do all this because they want the books.

One of the best things the institute is doing is taking an interest in the country school. It is time something is being done when the county superintendent of Winnebago county heard there were only 2,802 school houses in Illinois that were classed as well-kept, out of over 12,000, only 2,802 that the county superintendents will certify to as well-kept-there is still 2,346 little school houses standing in Illinois out on the prairie without so much as a tree or shrub-the county superintendent of Winnebago county said I will diminish one of these numbers and I will increase the other and the way he has set about it will interest you when you hear about it tomorrow evening. Out of the 12,000 the county superintendents say 8,303 are suitable for the purpose intended, comfortable and well-kept, and they certify that 1,287 school houses in the State of Illinois are in the condition I should mark "I. C." The boys know what I. C. means, the others do not. Inspected and condemned 1,287. The county superintendents admit and there is not a county superintendent who will admit a single undesirable thing if he can help it. Now that condition is being remedied in this county in a way you will hear more about tomorrow evening.

We are improving the school houses at an incredibly rapid rate in an expensive way. All the county superintendents are doing it except one does it one way and one another. If you have a county superintendent that is not attending to these things mark him "I. C."

No way has yet been found and patented by which a school can be organized and maintained without children, the best judges believe. They believe an essential condition of the school is a certain number of children 20 to 30 to make a good school. Now there are nearly 1,965 schools of this State carried on for fewer than 15 children, 423 with ten and nearly 100 for fewer than five children. This condition of things presents a problem. In the study of this problem the county superintendent of Winnebago county has been a pioneer. He began the careful and systematic study of this problem before anyone else in Illinois and came to the same conclusion which he desired to verify by actual contact with the facts in the case. This excellent board of supervisors which stands behind him so nobly has a committee which has a chairman who is a very conservative man, who believed at one time and spoke as a good many others have believed that certain things could not be done because they extended beyond the_limit of the ability to pay for them. So when it was decided to send Mr. Kern to Ohio so that he might come in contact with the work the conservative member went with him and I went along with the two and together we visited schools in three different counties in a good many townships and when the chairman was satisfied we left Mr. Kern making a more thorough investigation. We had to make up a little purse so that he could stay as long as he wanted to. His ideas will be based on what he saw and what he thinks about it, together with some new information that has come to him lately, and I am very proud to introduce the county superintendent of Winnebago county, Mr. O. J. Kern.

CENTRALIZATION OF COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

By O. J. Kern, Supt. of Schools, Winnebago county, III.

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Institute, Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is, indeed, a high privilege to be permitted to address the members of the State Farmers' Institute of such a great commonwealth as Illinois. It is a sincere pleasure for me to attempt to interest you in a subject which is the basal factor of all movements for the improvement of country life and conditions, viz: The evolution of the country school. In a recent editorial on Higher Education and Commercial Life in the Railway Age, this significant statement is made, that "the fact is not to be doubted that educational standards and educational requirements for success are growing higher every year in the United States, and therefore, it seems more than probable that the man with the best education of the true sort, will be the winning man of