452 ANNUAL rvErOKTti OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ing of teachers of agriculture and schools giving instruction in 

 agi-icultuiv Avero also visited. During these visits conferences were 

 held to discuss problems confronting teachei'S in service. 



Cooperation with the Association of Land-Grant Colleges was 

 continued through its committee on instruction in agriculture, of 

 which the director of the service is chairman. A report on the train- 

 ing of teachers of agriculture was made to the association at its 

 annual meeting in November, 1919, and has been published in the 

 proceedings of that meeting. The committee is now engaged on a 

 study with reference to the improvement of college teaching of agri- 

 culture, having in view especially the requirements for the prepara- 

 tion of teachers for secondary schools and of extension workers, 

 as well as of farmers. 



There was also cooperation with the Bureau of Education in con- 

 nection with the work of a committee assembled b}^ the Commissioner 

 of Education to study the problems of agricultural education with 

 a vieAv to fitting such education more closely and adequatel}' to the 

 actual conditions and environment of the farm and the needs of 

 rural life. Two members of the staff of this service have served on 

 the subcommittee, which has made a special study of the agricultural 

 curriculum of the colleges and prepared a report which is being 

 published by the Bureau of Education. 



The work of this branch of this service was pursued under unusual 

 difficulties during the year. Changes due to increased compensation 

 offered for service elsewhere made the force engaged in this work 

 comparativelj'^ a new one. In addition, the long, and finally fatal 

 illness of Mr. Alvin Dille, who was in charge of the work, deprived 

 the staff for a time of settled leadership. 



Mr. Erwin H. Shinn, who was the chief assistant, was put in 

 charge of the work, and the vacancy thus created was filled by the 

 appointment of Mr. Frederick A. Merrill, who had been temporarily 

 employed in connection with the school-garden work of the Bureau 

 of Education and was formerly in charge of agricultural instruction 

 in the State Normal School at Athens, Ga. 



INVESTIGATIONS ON FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



J. M. Stedman, Fanners' Institute Specialist. 



Farmers' institutes during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1920, 

 were officially in charge of the State government in 16 States, while 

 in the remaining 32 States the}^ were in charge of the extension 

 division of the agricultural colleges. A total of 35 States conducted 

 farmers' institutes during the year. The combined reports from 30 

 of these States show a total of 4,542 institutes, which lasted 5,681 

 days, comprised 10,088 sessions, had an attendance of 1,268,094 

 persons, employed 1,045 lecturers, and cost $203,890. 



The States Relations Service continued to aid farmers' institute 

 workers along the same lines as heretofore, and in so doing likewise 

 aided county agents and other extension teachers throughout the 

 country. Two new lectures. Green Manuring and Soy Beans, were 

 published, each accompanied by 50 lantern slides. The 35 differ- 

 ent illustrated lectures now available were used not only by farmers* 



