312 Report of Farmers' Institutes 



ment to it at the outset, there should be sufficient funds to admit 



of employing inexperienced workers in addition to the regular 



force. 



WOMEN'S WORK 



In every institute a woman made one of the corps. A separate 

 women's session was held during a portion of the afternoon, the 

 woman worker also making an address at the evening session. 



This year, in every place, in addition to the regular correspond- 

 ent, a woman was selected especially to look after the women's 

 work. With her, the woman worker corresponded before the meet- 

 ing, ascertaining local conditions and subjects that would be most 

 helpful. Xot only did this enhance the local interest and increase 

 the attendance of women, but it did much to make the institute 

 as a whole more popular. The best testimony as to how the 

 women's work is received is the fact that, despite bad weather 

 and roads, fully 1,300 more women attended than in the previous 

 year. 



At Dansville, Livingston County, a three-day women's institute 

 was held, which was in charge of Mrs. Ida S. Harrington, assisted 

 by Mrs. Orra P. Phelps and ]\riss Sara B. Huff. The attendance 

 is shown in the table on page 2497, and the interest was all that 

 could be desired. 



A series of ten special meetings was conducted by Mrs. Orra P. 

 Phelps in places where institutes had been held during the winter 

 and where a desire was expressed for an extension of the work. 

 When it proved convenient and time permitted, visits were made 

 in the morning at the homes. In the afternoon a meeting for 

 women was held, which consisted of demonstration work and 

 round-table discussion. A second session was held in the evening, 

 where usually a lecture was given, and was often attended by both 

 men and women. 



Xote. — See page 2509, " Learning to Read," by ]Mrs. Orra P. Phelps. 



