30r> REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



This act, as amondcHl March !'», 1905, appropriates $0,000 annually 

 for carrying on the institute work. Sixty-one institutes were held 

 last year, consisting of 140 sessions. Forty-seven were one-day insti- 

 tutes, and i;> were two-day, and 1 three-dny. The attendance was 

 12,838. The number of speakers upon the State force was 8. Five of 

 these were members of the State agricultural experiment station staff 

 and contributed twenty-two days of time. The total cost of the insti- 

 tutes was $3,918. The appropriation for the year ending June 30, 

 1900, is $(;,000. The institute proceedings are published in an annual, 

 of which 10,000 copies are distributed -at institute meetings and 

 through the mail. The State lecturers are appointed by the institute 

 board. This board also appoints the State director, Avhose term of 

 office is for one year. An institute connnittee in each county is 

 selected by the State institute board to look after the advertising and 

 make such special arrangements as are necessary for the successful 

 conduct of the meetings. The dates, places, and prograunnes are all 

 arranged by the State director, and notices of meetings are advertised 

 b}^ means of large posters, through the i)ublication of the prograunnes 

 by local newspapers, and by j^ostal card invitations sent oiit through 

 the mail. 



A round-up meeting was held at Fargo, January 17 to 20, 1905, 

 consisting of ten sessions with an attendance of 1,310 persons. The 

 director of institutes arranged with the Minneapolis, St. Paul and 

 Sault Ste. Marie Railway Company to operate a special seed train 

 March to 11, inclusive. The institute board arranged for the 

 speakers and paid all other expenses, as well as arranging for the 

 advertising. This train covered the main line from Hankinson to 

 Portal, and the Bismarck branch from Hankinson to Wishek, a 

 total of 480 miles, making twenty-seven stops of 1 hour and 30 min- 

 utes each during this time. The train consisted of a large passenger 

 coach, which Avas used to convey farmers to and from the stations 

 between the regular stops and also in Avhich to hold the meeting when 

 the attendance Avould permit. The attendance ranged from 75 to 

 over 500, making, a total of 5,555 for the five days. Professors H. L. 

 Bolley, J. H. Shepperd, Director of the Experiment Station J. H. 

 AVorst, and the superintendent of institutes composed the lecture 

 corps. The principal subjects treated were " Grading and selecting 

 seed grain," " Seed treatment to prevent disease in field crops," and 

 the " Germination of seed grain." At the close of each meeting 

 five circulars, giving a resimic of the subjects discussed, were dis- 

 tributed. The total expense to the institute fund was $225. 



