DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 71 



I 

 KEPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



During the past year Farmers' Institutes have been held in all of 

 the counties in the Lower Peninsula except Kent, as well as in most 

 of the counties in the Upper Peninsula. With a few exceptions the 

 county institutes, which were held at the end of the series, lasted two 

 days, usually with five sessions, but in a few instances one-day meetings 

 with two or three sessions were held, and in a number of other counties 

 the institutes lasted three days generally with eight sessions. In this 

 series there were 67 institutes, with 334 sessions and an attendance of 

 41,271. 



For these meetings three speakers were generally furnished for at 

 least one day. The third speaker was usually a woman who conducted 

 a special congress for women. Instead of having a single session as 

 has been customary in former years, a forenoon as well as an afternoon 

 session was arranged. 



ONE-DAY INSTITUTES. 



The large demand for one-day institutes showed an increased interest 

 in such meetings and the invitations were accepted so far as the funds 

 available permitted. While a considerable number of counties held 

 from twelve to eighteen institutes, the average number was only about 

 six to a county. The holding of these meetings made it possible to place 

 an institute within driving distance of a very large proportion of the 

 farmers of Michigan and, in some counties, it was noted that a con- 

 siderable number of farmers made it a practice to attend two or more 

 of tlie institutes. 



In most of the counties we were able to carry out the plan inaugurated 

 some ten years ago of requiring the local associations to look after the 

 entertainment and transportation of the state institute lecturer while 

 in the county. This resulted in lessening the cost of holding the insti- 

 tutes by nearly one-half, the effect being to practically double the number 

 of institutes that could have been held with the same funds had all of 

 the expenses of the speaker been paid by the Agricultural College. 



The success of these meetings was measured very accurately by the 

 efficiency of the officers of the county institute societies. When care 

 has been taken in the selection of these officers and they are not only 

 efficient but able and willing to devote the time required for arranging 

 and advertising the institute, it is very seldom that the meetings are 

 not successful. 



women's congresses. 



For nearly all of the county institutes held in the Lower Peninsula 

 a woman speaker was furnished and in 53 counties a special women's 

 congress was arranged. In several of the counties forenoon as well 

 as afternoon sessions were held. A standard form of program was pre- 

 pared and was used at practically all of the meetings. For the afternoon 

 session the state speaker was generallj^ assigned the topic, "The Use 



