REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER. 



farmers' institutes. 



The work of the farmers' institutes has been conducted along 

 practically the same lines as during the previous year. Institutes 

 have been held in every county, and in most instances the attend- 

 ance has been large and a good degree of interest has been mani- 

 fested. There is constantly a demand for a higher class of 

 instructors, and we have endeavored to secure speakers who are 

 experts in the lines which they treat. We are indebted to the 

 University of Maine for their co-operation along this line. The 

 members of the faculty have readily responded to all calls for 

 assistance at our institutes when it has been practicable for them 

 to do so. Another class of speakers that do most excellent work 

 consists of practical farmers in our own State who have success- 

 fully solved the problems which have confronted them in their 

 lines of farming. The agricultural editors of the State have 

 also done much toward developing this work. The speakers 

 from outside the State who have been employed during the past 

 year are as follows : Prof. J. W. Sanborn, Gilmanton, N. H. ; Dr. 

 C. D. Smead, Logan, X. Y. ; Prof. S. T. jNIaynard, North- 

 borough, Mass. ; David M. Kelsey, Durham, Conn. ; Ernest 

 Hitchcock, Pittsford, Vermont ; P. M. Harwood, Boston, Mass. ; 

 Prof. C. S. Phelps, Chapinville, Conn. ; John \V. Clark, North 

 Hadley, Mass. ; Frank E. Emery, Chicago, 111. 



The principal topics which have been discussed are Dairying, 

 Orcharding, Small Fruit Culture, Soil Cultivation, Forage 

 Crops, Stock Breeding, Diseases of Domestic Animals, the Poul- 

 try Industry, Corn Culture, Potato Culture, The Enforcement of 

 Dairy Laws, Agricultural Education, Road Construction. 



The farmers' institute was organized to supplement the work 

 of the agricultural college and experiment station in disseminat- 

 ing information on agricultural subjects. Its function is to take 

 up-to-date, reliable truth relating to agriculture to these farming 

 communities and present it in such a way as will be of practical 

 value to every day life, and to awaken thought among the farm- 

 ers and incite them to put forth more effort, to adopt new meth- 

 ods and to experiment for themselves. While it has not always 

 been possible to reach the class of farmers who might be most 

 largely benefited by these meetings, there are in most localities 

 where they have been held a few farmers who put in practice the 

 ideas gained, and the influence of their example and enthusiasm 



