farmers' institutes in the united states. 38>6 



provido lecturers for farmers' institutes so far as the appropriation 

 for the object will allow. The hoard reconnnends that — 



Whenovor any I'nniicrs' organization in the State shall desire to have a course 

 of not more tlian three lectures on any farm sulgect they may apply to the 

 secretary of the iioard of afrriculture for a lecturer, and the secretary, if ho 

 thinks the subject a i)roper one, shall furnish a lecturer, provided he can secure 

 a competent person to attend on the dates named, and also jirovided that he has 

 not already been called on durint,' the year to provide lecturers for more than 

 13 courses. 



Rule 15 requires that — 



Each agricultural society receivin,:,' the bounty of the Commonwealth shall 

 hold within its limits not less than Ihri'e farmers' institutes each calendar year, 

 and the l)oard shall render all the assistance in its pdwer to make these insti- 

 tutes interesting and profitable. The secretary of the board shall i)rovide lec- 

 turers for farmers' institutes, so far as the appropriation for the object will 

 allow and a wise expenditure of the money warrant, hut he shall not be author- 

 ized to i)ay more than one lecturer for each institute. The secretary of each 

 society shall be required to certify to the holding of each institute on blanks 

 furnished by the secretary of the board. 



One hun(h-ed and fifteen institutes, composed of KVT sessions, were 

 held this year. Twelve thousand three hundred and seventy-two per- 

 sons were in attendance, and there were 71 persons upon the State 

 force, 47 of whom were engaged in giving instruction during the year. 

 The total cost w^as $1,474.24, and the appropriation for the coming 

 year is $3,000. The local expenses of the institutes are met by the 

 societies holding the meetings. The dates, places, and programmes 

 for the meetings are arranged by the State director in cooperation 

 with the local officers. The agricultural societies represented on the 

 State board of agriculture are the local organizations under whose 

 auspices the institutes are held. The director of institutes, in com- 

 menting upon this feature of their work, states that — 



For Massachusetts we consider our present arrangement the best one, with 

 the institutes under the local control of the incorporated agricultural societies 

 rei)resented on the l>oard, who are required to hold three institutes each in every 

 calendar year. They, with the advice and assistance of the central oflice, select 

 the speakers they wish to hear from the list furnished them by the board and 

 select the dates most convenient for their peoi)le. The hoiwd arranges with the 

 speakers to attend these meetings and also meets their expenses, while the 

 societies meet the expenses for hall rent and advertising and attend to the 

 details of the same. This ollice maintains a general oversight of the institutes, 

 does not employ any imt worthy and instructive speakers, and further endeavors 

 to arrange circuits of institutes with speakers of more than ordinary ability 

 from without the State. 



MICHIGAN. 



The State board of agriculture is authorized by act of the legisla- 

 ture of U)()l to " hold institutes and to establish and maintain courses 

 of readinir and lectun's for iusi ruction in the various branches of 

 agriciUtiire, mechanic arts, domestic economy, and the related 



