DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 37 



door, and with an intelligent agricultural jjress available at a trifling 

 expense, there seems to be no necessity for any farmer to remain 

 ignorant of the most advanced methods of agriculture. 



FARMERS^ INSTITUTES. 



On May 7, 187.5, Dr. Kedzie offered the following resolutions in a 

 meeting of the college faculty, and they were unanimously adopted : 



"Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed by the president 

 to draw up a scheme for a series of farmers' institutes to be held in 

 different parts of the state during the next winter, including in the 

 exercises of such institutes lectures and essays by members of the 

 faculty; that the several members of the State Board of Agriculture 

 and leading farmers residing in the vicinity of the place of holding such 

 institutes, be respectfully and earnestly requested to participate in the 

 exercises by lectures, essays, and discussions." 



"Resolved, That said committee be instructed to confer with the 

 State Board of Agriculture, at its next meeting, to make all necessary 

 arrangements for inaugurating and carrying out such series of farmers' 

 institutes." 



Dr. Kedzie, Dr. Beal and Prof. R. C. Carpenter, representing the 

 faculty, presented to the board on June 1st a memorial requesting the 

 board to adopt a regular system for the holding of six farmers' insti- 

 tutes each winter in the older settled portions of the state. This plan 

 was adopted by the board, and during the month of January, 1876. 

 institutes were held in Allegan, Armada, Decatur, Rochester, Adrian 

 and Coldwater. These institutes were the first held in this state, and 

 as far as we know, the first held in this countrv under the authoritv 

 of a state board or college faculty. The reports show that the college 

 received aid from the legislature from time to time for the purpose of 

 carrying on these institutes. The demand from the different sections 

 of the state for institutes finally became so urgent that in 1897 the 

 legislature passed an act authorizing our present institute system and 

 made an annual appropriation of $5,000 for carrying it forward. When 

 the legislature, in 1901, granted to the college a mill-tax, it was stipu- 

 lated that the college should carry on the farmers' institutes, expending 

 for this purpose not less than $7,.500 annually. This sum now seems 

 inadequate, and provision has been made to add at least $1,000 to this 

 amount for next year. 



Under the present law institute societies are formed in each county 

 and upon their initiative one two-day institute, and where convenient 

 a few one-day meetings, are held in each county. Speakers are pro- 

 vided by the state, under direction of the college, for each of these meet- 

 ings. Last year there were held 74 two-day institutes, with a .total 

 attendance of 05,285; 257 one-day meetings, with a total attendance of 

 57,148; making a total attendance for the series of 122,433. 



In addition to these meetings a series of "railroad institutes" was 

 held during the month of April in co-operation with the Lake Shore 

 & Michigan Southern and the Michigan Central railroads, thirty being 

 held upon the former line and seventeen upon the latter. Each road 

 furnished a special train consisting of two passenger coaches and one 



