farmers' institutes in the united states. 407 



tlie results of the most recent investigations in theoretical and practi- 

 cal fanning."' 



Sixtv-three institutes were held last vear. Sixteen were one-day 

 and 40 two-day and 1 three-day, together comprising lUU sessions. 

 Nine thousand nine hundred and fifty persons were in attendance. 

 Twenty-two lecturers were upon the State force, 5 of whom were 

 members of the agricultural college faculty and experiment station 

 stair, who contributed twenty-three days of their tin)e. The amount 

 expended for meeting the expenses of the institutes for the year was 

 $2,455. 



There is no law regulating the formation of local institute associa- 

 tions, but the board of agriculture has had prepared a form of con- 

 stitution and set of by-laws, which were printed in the institute bul- 

 letin, with the recommendation that they be adopted by local socie- 

 ties in the several counties. The director of institutes is appointed 

 by the State board of agriculture for a period of two years. The 

 board arranges the dates of the institutes and assigns two of its mem- 

 bers to be present at each. The reports of the proceedings of the 

 institutes are required to be sent in to the secretary of the board and 

 are printed in an agricultural periodical issued under the direction of 

 the State board of agriculture. 



WISCONSIN. 



The board of regents of the State university is authorized by the 

 law of Wisconsin to '* hold institutes for the instruction of citizens 

 of the State in the various branches of agriculture. Such institutes 

 shall be held at such times and at such places as said board may 

 direct. The said board shall make such rules and regulations as it 

 may deem proper for organizing and conducting such institutes, and 

 may emj)loy an agent or agents to perform such work in connection 

 therewith as they may deem best." 



Eighty-two institutes were held during the year. Eighty-one of 

 these were two-day and one was a three-day, aggregating 270 sessions. 

 The total attendance was 43,000. Thirty-one lecturers were upon the 

 State teaching force, eight of whom were members of the agricultural 

 college faculty and the experiment station staff. The amount ex- 

 pended for institute expenses was $14,942. Sixty thousand copies 

 of the farmers' institute bulletin, containing the proceedings of the 

 institutes, were published and distributed. The local expenses of the 

 institutes are provided for by the citizens of the connnunity in which 

 the institute is held. The meetings are placed ujjon request of the 

 various localities. Petitions are sent in to the director of institutes, 

 and through these medings are granted in the discretion of the State 

 director. The arranging of the dates, places, iind programmes is in 



