394 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



Last year 201 institntos wore hold, mado up of 007 sess '^l«ti<>» 

 hiindroil and twenty-nine of tht'se were one-day, 128 wei* '*'"'^^^'^: 

 and 4 were three-day institutes. The total attendance was' 

 Sixty lecturers were upon the State corps of instructors, 20 of AV.'iui. 

 were furnished hy the faculty of the ii<>:ricultural college and the staff 

 of the experiment station, who contributed one hundred and ninety- 

 five days of their time. Twenty thousand dollars was appropriated 

 for carrying on the work, all of which was expended. As many as 

 five separate corps of speakers are in the field at the same time. An 

 annual meeting of the lecturers uj)()ii the State force has been held 

 for the purpose of normal instruction. During the past year a course 

 continuing for two weeks was provided, one week at the State experi- 

 ment station at Geneva and one week at Cornell University. The corps 

 of lecturers was well represented at both of the meetings, and mur-'- 

 interest Avas manifested in the lectures and discussions. The ' .,. 

 speakers in NeAv York arc all listed under the civil service, ana ih 

 director rei:)orts that there has thus far been no serious trouble from 

 the rulings of their civil-service commission. A special effort has 

 been made to develop institute lecturers from among their own citi- 

 zens, and the large number of efficient instructors now upon the State 

 force is evidence of the success of the director in this respect. 



An annual report of institutes, numbering 25,000 copies, was printed 

 and distributed b}^ the State director and by members of the legislature. 

 The local or county organization varies. Usually a local committee 

 is selected by the State director to have charge of the arrangements 

 for holding the county meetings. The dates, places, and programmes 

 are arranged by the director. Each locality is required to provide a 

 hall free of expense. The State I3ays the expenses for advertising 

 and for the lighting and heating of the hall. The director frequently 

 furnishes speakers for independent institutes that are held under the 

 auspices of granges, farm clubs, or agricultural societies. The at- 

 tendance at these independent institutes last year is reported as 31,000. 

 The director reports having held during the season 92 institute ses- 

 sions specially for farmers' boys and girls, with pronounced success. 

 The special topics presented for discussion before all of the institutes 

 were " Good roads " and " Rural schools." 



NORTH CAROLINA. 



By act of assembly it is made the duty of the commissioner of agri- 

 culture of North Carolina, by and with the consent and advice of the 

 board of agriculture, " to hold farmers' institutes in the several coun- 

 ties of the State as frequently as may be deemed advisable in order to 

 instruct the people in improved methods in farming, in the beneficial 

 use of fertilizers and composts, and to ascertain the wants and neces- 



