8S4 i^KPoirr of oim'tck of FXF'FrtnrKXT statioxs. 



furnished spoakoi-s (o locnl «;ranfjc's on ivquosl whoro thoy dosirod 

 special farm sul)je('(s to he discussed. The expense of these speakers 

 was paid from the institute fund. 



MARYLAND. 



Under the act of assembly, approved March 27, 1800, estahlishin^ 

 farmers' institutes in the State of Maryland, il is i)r()vid('d that tiie 

 farmers' institute director shall be ai)i)()in(('d by the trustees of the 

 Maryland Agricultural College, and that at least " one institute shall 

 be held in each year in each county of the State, and an additional 

 one in each count}^ if deemed necessary and desirable." The insti- 

 tute under this act was made a de])artment of the Maryland Agri- 

 cultural College. I'he total number of institutes held during the 

 year was 26", consisting of 73 sessions. Five thousand seven hundred 

 and forty-one persons were in attendance. Sixteen lecturers are 

 upon the State list of institute instructors. Eight members of the 

 agricultural college and experiment station force gave instruction 

 in the institutes. The total cost of the institutes for the year was 

 $3,018.70, and the appropriation for the coming j^ear is $0,000. 



The Avork in the several counties is conducted by a local committee 

 or county organization, wherever such exists, or through a local cor- 

 respondent appointed by the director of institutes. Keports of the 

 institutes are furnished to the county papers, and enough of these 

 are secured by the director to supply his mailing list. The advertis- 

 ing of the meetings is effected through the newspapers of the State 

 by sending to each a programme about four weeks before the insti- 

 tute in the county in which the newspaper is published is held. The 

 director each year plans a visit of representatives of the institutes in 

 the several counties to some place of special interest outside of the 

 State, as a farm, canning factory, city market, or educational insti- 

 tution, each delegate being expected to write a report of what he has 

 observed during his visit and present this before the next institute 

 meeting. The results of this method of verifying information have 

 been very satisfactory. 



Two cars specially fitted up for the purpose were used on two of 

 the leading railroads of Maryland and run as seed-corn specials. 

 The attendance in two days at these meetings was 2,107, 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



The farmers' institutes of Massachusetts are held under a general 

 law establishing a board of agriculture which authorizes it to " dis- 

 seminate useful inf()rmati(m in agriculture by lectures or otherwise." 

 By a rule of the State board the secretary of the board is required to 



