786 BOARD OF AGRICULTUKE. 



of the gratuitous services rendered by the other members of the General 

 Committee on Institutes, as well as by other officers and members of the 

 faculty of Purdue Universits'. 



W. C. LATTA, 

 Superintendent Farmers' Institutes. 

 Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind., June 30, 1905. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON ARRANGING FOR AND CONDUCT- 

 ING FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



In the selection of places for holding Institutes it is well to take into 

 account the conveniences of travel — the general character of the people 

 for enterprise and intelligence, and the probability of their hearty co- 

 operation togetlier witli subjects most likely to interest them. 



The Place of Meeting. — Warm, comfortable rooms, easy of access, 

 should be secured. 



Advertising the Meetings. — Institutes should be well advertised by 

 using large posters, by posting them two or more weeks in advance of 

 the meeting. By distributing programs of the meetings, through the 

 schools and otherwise, by calling attention to tlie meetings of the insti- 

 tute on public occasions, postal cards may be used and addressed to indi- 

 viduals requesting their hearty co-operation. The local press should be 

 used freely for weeks in advance; publish the programs; have short 

 paragraphs inserted calling attention to the Institute. 



Program. — In the preparation of the program, after having selected 

 the principal subjects, for the Institute, write to the State speakers, 

 giving the trend of the Avork desired, and request them to make such 

 suggestions as they think may be helpful in the work. They may help 

 you in grouping the subjects so as to get the greater benefits out of the 

 work. Print the programs in time to distribute them quite generally 

 among those who may be expected to attend — holding a number sufficient 

 to accommodate all who attend. Neat, well-printed programs will tend to 

 put a business face on the work of the Institute. In the preparation of 

 programs, select subjects for each session embracing kindred topics, that 

 have a local adaptation to the interest of the people along agricultural 

 lines. In tlie selection of local speakers, secure men and women who are 

 practical and are known to be successful in the line of the subject they 

 treat, if possible, secure a few young people to take a place on the 

 program and give them a prominence in the Avork. So far as practical, 

 secure the aid of the schools and local school teachers at the evening 

 sessions. So arrange the order of exercises for plenty of time to discuss 

 the leading topics presented by State and local speakers. Avoid a stuff- 

 ing of the program with miscellaneous exercises. Some changes are 

 needful, but it is easy to waste time and waste money set apart for 

 Institute woi'k. 



