farmers' institutes tx the united states. 379 



officer being the professor of agriculture in the university and advi- 

 sor}' agricuhurist of the experiment station. 



During the year 250 institutes were hehl, 117 of which were two- 

 day meetings. The total number of sessions was 888, and the attend- 

 ance is given at 79,964. The cost was $10,000. The number of 

 lecturers upon the State force was 4G, 8 of whom were members of the 

 agricultural college and experiment station staffs, who contril)uted 

 twelve days of time. The schedule, including dates and programmes, 

 is arranged b}' the superintendent, and the places are decided by con- 

 ference with the local officers. Two State lecturers are provided for 

 each institute, with an occasional expert speaker to discuss some 

 special topic. Members of the college and station staffs attend insti- 

 tutes without charge, except for their expenses, and at times when 

 their duties do not seriously interfere. An annual conference is held 

 each year, as are also district institutes, comprising a number of 

 counties, and for which special programmes are provided, A new 

 feature of the work is a plan for competiticm In* young people at the 

 institutes and at the county fairs. Premiums for exhibits of corn, 

 oats, poultry, butter, and bread, grown or made by young people 

 between the ages of 12 and 20 who live on farms, are offered by one 

 fair association. 



The county farmers' institute or home makers' association will duplicate the 

 Itroniiuiiis offortMl by the fair association upon the followin}? conditions: 



(1) The exhibits will be made at the several farmers" institutes to be held iu 

 the county during the season as may hereafter be designated. 



(2) Each exhibitor must be present in person, submit in writing a description 

 not exceeding ."00 words of the method employed in growing the crops or poul- 

 try or in making butter or bread, and read the same at the institute. 



(.3) Each exhibitor must certify to the area and yield of crop or age and 

 breed of fowls, etc., and that the article was produced by the exhibitor. This 

 certified statement must be attested by two witnesses. 



(4) Each person will be permitted to exhibit in but one class and make but a 

 single entry. 



A form of constitution for county institute organizations has been 

 recommended, and was approved and adopted by 50 of the 92 counties 

 of the State in 1904. The constitution provides that any resident of 

 the county over 16 years of age may become a member by payment of 

 the annual dues; that the officers shall consist of a president, secre- 

 tary, assistant secretary, treasurer, and one vice-president for each 

 township in the county. The president, secretary, treasurer, and the 

 several vice-presidents constitute an executive couunittee, which has 

 charge of the affairs of the association in intervals between the meet- 

 ings. This committee, ui)on (he request of the State superintendent, 

 is reijuired to suggest desirable dates and i)laces for farmei*s' institutes, 

 themes for speakers, and give such other information as the superin- 

 tendent may desire in arranging the schedules of institutes. The 

 II. Doc. 924, .7J-1 25 



