No. 5. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 5 



FARMERS' INSTITUTES 



Of the educational work done by the Department, the first to be 

 organized, was that done by tlie Bureau of Farmers' Institutes. 

 This work was started by the State Board of Agriculture before the 

 Department was created; and has been increasing in importance 

 every year. 



The State is now divided into five sections, and instructors suf- 

 ficient in number and qualified by both training and experience, are 

 sent into each of these sections going from county to county, where 

 the Local Managers, previously appointed, have in advance made 

 arrangements for holding Movable Schools of Agriculture and 

 Farmers' Institutes, delivering lectures and giving object lessons 

 and systematic instruction upon all subjects relating to Successful 

 Farming, Domestic Science and the Improvement of Kural Condi- 

 tions generally. 



Each body of instructors is placed under the leadership of a com- 

 petent superintendent, and the closest, supervision possible to be 

 given by one person is given to the entire work of the State by the 

 Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, who is ex-officio Director of Farm- 

 ers' Institutes. 



During the last institute season, two hundred and twenty-nine 

 Farmers' Institutes and seven Movable Schools of Agriculture were 

 held, which were attended by one hundred eighty-six thousand six 

 hundred and four persons, the great majority of whom were farmers 

 and their families; and during the time of their progress many re- 

 ports came to the Department of the efficient work that was being 

 done by the lecture force engaged. 



The number of persons receiving instruction at these Movable 

 Schools and Farmers' Institutes has been increasing every year since 

 the work began, and I doubt whether any of the work done in our 

 State for the education of farmers in the line of their occupation 

 makes as good return for the amount of money expended as is made 

 by Farmers' Institutes. 



A very important addition to the educational work of the Depart- 

 ment was made possible by our last General Assembly passing the 

 Act of May 14, 1913, authorizing the appointment, by the Secretary 

 of Agriculture, of ten persons, qualified by actual experience, to give 

 instruction in the science of agriculture and demonstrations of agri- 

 cultural methods at such times and places as seem advisable. 



This work was organized August 1, 1918, to which reference was 

 made in last year's report, and continued until December 1, of same 

 year, when it was discontinued for the reason that field work could 

 not well be kept up after that season of the year, and the persons 

 engaged in the field work were placed upon the Farmers' Institute 

 force. During the year just closed every county in the State was 

 visited by some of the members of this body of instructors. Where 

 practical demonstrations of approved farm methods or instruction 

 suited to the wants of the persons asking for the same, were given. 

 The subjects receiving attention by these special instructors and dem- 

 onstrators embraced Soil Improvement. Dairying and Animal In- 

 dustry, Poultry Production, Drainage, Water Supply, Vegetable and 

 Fruit Growing, Home Sanitation, Household Economics, etc. Ke- 

 ports coming to the Department from farmers whose places were 



