20 BEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



ouKnral cdiu-ition and to follow and ivoord llic progress in agri- 

 cultural education. In order to do this more effectively it has estab- 

 lished a department of agricultural education in the Experiment 

 Station Record. It has also prepared a number of publications 

 x'elating to agi'icultural education, conducted a large correspondence 

 on this subject, and upon request sent representatives to many meet- 

 ings of farmers and educators. The Office is in a position* to render 

 much more effective aid in the promotion of agricultural education 

 as soon as better facilities for this work are available. 



THE FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



The statistics of farmers' institutes in the United States, as com- 

 piled by the Farmers' Institute Specialist of this Office, are included 

 in a report given on page 359. According to these statistics, insti- 

 tutes were held in all but three of the States and in all Territories, 

 except Alaska, Indian Territory, and Porto Rico. The total number 

 of institutes held was 3,271, and the total number of sessions 10,555. 

 The total attendance at these institutes was over 995,000, an increase 

 of 153,000 over that of the previous year. The appropriations for 

 institute purposes amounted to $225,700. The number of institute 

 lecturers employed regularly on the State force increased from 953 

 to 995. Twenty States held round-up institutes, comprising 192 

 sessions, with an attendance of 30,000. Six States report 167 insti- 

 tutes for bovs, and nine States 454 institutes for women. 



A school of methods in institute teaching, schools of instruction 

 for institute workers, more institutes for women, more institutes for 

 boys, a large number of railroad trains run as institute specials, and 

 greater concentration of effort on single topics of instruction were 

 among the leading features of progress in the institute w^ork of 1905. 

 The principal needs of the institutes are more efficient lecturers, a 

 wider distribution of agricultural literature among farmers, and 

 better organization. 



The tenth annual convention of the American Association of 

 Farmers' Institute Workers was held in Washington, D. C., Novem- 

 ber 9-11, 1905, and was attended by 92 delegates, representing 29 

 States and 3 of the Provinces of Canada. The proceedings of this 

 convention have been j^ublished as Bulletin 1G5 of this Office, and a 

 brief account of the meeting is given on page 369 of this report. 



The work of this Office in relation to farmers' institutes has been 

 continued as heretofore. The Farmers' Institute Specialist has con- 

 tinued to aid the State directors by distributing literature, attending 

 meetings of representative farmers, delivering addresses before farm 

 organizations, aiding in the preparation of publications, perfecting 

 the organization of the work of the Office, and conducting corre- 

 spondence. During the year 10 States and the Province of Ontario 



