360 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



Twenty States held round-up institutes, composed of 192 sessions, 

 with a reported attendance of .'50.410. Six States reported 167 insti- 

 tutes for hoys, one State, New York, holding 02. Four hundred 

 and fifty-four women's institutes were held in nine States. 



Among the new features in institute work rej^orted were the or- 

 ganization of women's clubs, and the holding of women's institutes 

 by four States, the equijiping of railway cars with corps of lecturers 

 and illustrative material and starting them out as specials. The 

 exj)enses of these trains were borne by the railway companies over 

 whose lines they were run, and were frequently attended by railway 

 officials who participated in the lecture service. 



In one State whenever a two-day institute was held the second day 

 was made a field day, and was devoted to field demonstrations, as 

 corn and stock judging, spraying and the i^reparation of spraying 

 mixtures, etc. One State is conducting cooperative experiments in 

 connection with the State agricultural experiment station. Two 

 others are conducting dairy schools continuing from tAvo to five days 

 each. Two States have been holding a series of farmers' picnics in 

 the various counties, calling them summer institutes for farmers' 

 families. One State held a school of methods in institute teaching 

 at which institute lecturers and college students in agriculture were 

 present. Three other States conducted schools of instruction for 

 their institute workers at their State agricultural colleges or experi- 

 ment stations. Another has united the annual meeting of the farm- 

 ers' institute lecturers with that of the State teachers' association, the 

 programme combining two sets of subjects — technical agriculture 

 and common school instruction. One State has taken up as a lead- 

 ing toi^ic the introduction of the teaching of agriculture in the rural 

 schools, and another has adopted the plan of completing the discus- 

 sion of one subject before another is permitted to be taken up, with- 

 out regard to any time limit. Another experienced director has 

 shortened the opening talk upon each subject and lengthened the 

 discussion, and another has magnified the question-box idea and has 

 devoted the major part of the time to the discussion of the various 

 subjects w^hich the question box furnishes. 



Twenty-five directors replied to the inquiry as to methods by which 

 the Department could assist them in their work; thirteen requested 

 the Department to furnish institute lecturers; twenty requests were 

 for institute literature and illustrative material and for personal 

 visits and suggestions by the institute specialist. 



In order to ascertain the most pressing needs of the institutes, as 

 viewed from the standpoint of the local managers who have the duty 

 of arranging for the local meetings, circular letters of inquiry were 

 sent out to over 1,500 local managers of institutes in 25 States. 



