1S6 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



If funds were provided for the purpose the work could be so directed 

 and systematized as to extend tiie work over the state and bring it 

 to the attention of the boys and girls of every township. 



INSTITUTE SCHOOLS. 



For several years the plan of holding institute schools in different 

 parts of the state has been advocated and the time now seems ripe for 

 doing so. At the regular institutes the discussion has related largely 

 to the methods of growing farm crops and the c<are of domestic ani- 

 mals but, while there is still a broad field for further work along this 

 line, there are many thousands of farmers in Michigan who are thirst- 

 ing for a knowleiige of the natural sciences which underlie all of the 

 operations of the farm. The}' are not able to leave home to attend the 

 Agricultural College even for the short courses and yet would gladly at- 

 tend an institute school lasting four or five days if one could be held 

 within a short distance of their homes. To take up this work Avould 

 either require an increase of the present force of instructors at the col- 

 lege which would make it possible for three or four men from as many 

 departments to leave their work at the college for two or three months 

 during the winter, or the organization of a corps of lectures for con- 

 ducting institute schools. 



In a number of the states from $15,000 to |25,000 annually are spent 

 for this class of extension work in addition to an equal amount used 

 for farmers' institutes. For a number of years the amount that has been 

 available for the holding of the regular farmers' institutes, aside from 

 the amount used for the Round-up Institute, institute trains, printing 

 and mailing the annual institute report, and for administration and 

 office expenses, has been little if any more than 1 5,000. In very few of 

 the neighboring states is the appropriation for institutes less than 

 ."S;20,000 and in several of them it is more than |30,000 per year. 



The cost of holding a one-day institute varies from |2.00 to $2.50 

 per session where three sessions are held while for the county institutes 

 with three or four speakers it is not far from flO.OO per session. The 

 average cost of the regular institutes is less than |5.00 a session, or a 

 little more than three cents for each person in attendance. The re- 

 ports received from the officers of county institute societies indicate 

 that there is a demand for a considerable increase in the number of 

 meetings and as this will call for but a slight additional expense, the 

 holding of more meetings in places where there is sufficient interest 

 to warrant it is heartily recommended. 



Respectfullv submitted, 



L. R. TAFT, 

 Supt. Farmers' Institutes. 



East Lansing, Mich., June 30, 1911. 



