farmers' institutes of the united states. 677 



State director fixes the dates and the county committees select the 

 places and prepare the proorammes. About 75 independent institutes 

 were held last year b}' farmers' clubs, granges, and count}- agricul- 

 tural societies. The State is divided into live sections for institute 

 puri)oses, and the institute director furnishes three lecturers for each 

 section. 



A feature of the work in this State has been the prescribing of one 

 or two important topics, requiring them to })e placed upon every pro- 

 grannne for discussion throughout the State. The training of institute 

 lecturers so as to increase the number of eflicient instructors in the 

 institute work is made an important feature by the State director. 



PORTO RICO. 

 Farmers' institutes have not yet been organized in Porto Rico. 



RHODE ISLAND. 



Population 428,556. Total number of homes 94,179. Number of farm homes 5,638. 

 Per cent of farm homes 6. Approximate i)Opulation in farm homes 25,713. 



Director of institutes. — John G. Clarke, Secretary State Board of Agriculture, 

 Providence. 



Farmers' institutes in Rhode Island are conducted under authority 

 granted b}^ the general assembly in an act passed May 19, 1892, sec- 

 tion 4 of which is as follow\s: ''The board shall hold one ao^ricultural 

 institute in each county annually, either independently or in connec- 

 tion with any society or association, or other organization devoted to 

 the same general objects, and may hold as many more as it shall deem 

 exp(Hlient, and shall, as far as practicable, encourage State and local 

 associations and societies in the interest of agriculture." The secre- 

 tary of the State board of agriculture is charged Avith the duty of 

 arranging for and holding institutes, the expenses of which are paid 

 by the board out of an annual appropriation of $15,000. One insti- 

 tute was held in this State, with a total attendance of 20. One lecturer 

 was upon th(» State force. The total expense was $44. 



south CAROLINA. 



Population I,.'i40,.'n6. Total mmihcr of liumes 269,81)4. NumluT of farm homes 

 152,993. Per cent of farm liomes 56.7. Approximate j)opulation in farm houies 

 759,959. 



Director of iuHtitutvH. — J. S. Newman, Director Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 Clemson College. 



There is no speciiil law in this State authorizing the holding of 

 lanncrs"' institutes. Institutes, however, nvo held under authority 

 granted by the board of trustees of Clemson Agricultural College. A 

 conunittee of this board makes out the ))rogramme for the year and 

 appoints an olliier to tiike charge of the work of conducting the meet- 



