FARMERS^ INSTITUTES AND EXTENSION WORK. 345 



693, making the entire attendance at institutes of all kinds for the 

 year 3,615,550, an increase of 682,306 over the year before. 



TMs large addition is due chiefly to the uicreased number of railroad 

 instruction trains run in 1911. In 1910, 29 trains were run by 19 

 States, with an attendance of 189,645 persons. In 1911, 71 trains 

 were run by 28 States, attended by 995,220 persons, an addition of 9 

 States, 42 trains, and in attendance 805,575. 



The very marked attention that is being given to special institutes 

 as showir by their number and attendance is indicative of a disposition 

 on the part of the institute directors to make their work more specific 

 than formerly by devoting to instruction in one or two important items 

 in farm operations periods that once were occupied by the discussion 

 of numerous topics. The railroad potato special, hog special, and 

 wheat special, the movable school, the corn-judging contest, etc., are 

 examples of this speciahzation. The shght falling off also in the num- 

 ber attending the regular institutes is suggestive of the need for some 

 such change as these figures indicate if pubhc interest is to be main- 

 tamed. 



AGRICITLTURAL COLLEGE EXTENSION WORK. 



Data collected by the institute office relative to the progress of 

 extension activities by the agricultural colleges and experiment sta- 

 tions during the year have been tabulated and were presented in a 

 report made to the Association of American Agricultural Colleges 

 and Experiment Stations at their meeting in Columbus, Ohio, Novem- 

 ber, 1911. 



Information more or less complete was received from 45 of the 

 agricultural colleges and experiment stations representing 43 States 

 in which extension work is conducted. In 43 institutions directors 

 of extension have been appointed. Eight of these are also directors 

 of the experiment stations, leaving 35 institutions with extension 

 directors giving their time in whole or in part to this work. In 27 

 States there are 109 men devoting all their time to extension. In 29 

 States 256 are reported as giving part of their time to extension 

 teaching and to other forms of extension activity. In 10 other States 

 the members of the colleges and station staffs gave part of their time 

 to extension work, but the number so employed is not designated. 

 In 28 States 160,073 persons were registered as regular students of 

 extension classes and in 21 States 1,230,940 are reported as mis- 

 cellaneous or in irregular attendance. There was appropriated 

 $397,573.42 in 37 States for extension work in 1.910-1 1 and $427,628.71 

 was expended by 36 States. For the college year 1911-12, $584,171 

 has been appropriated by 37 States. 



The States in which the highest number of extension workers are 

 employed for the entire year are Iowa, Kansas, and Ohio — 17, 16, and 



