14 ANNUAL KEPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



TWELFTH ANNUAL KEPORT OF THE DIVISION OF 

 FARMERS' INSTITUTES FOR THE YEAR 1905 6. 



Harrisburg, Pa., January 1, 1907. 

 To tlie Honorable N. B. Critebfield, Secretary of AgHculture: 



Sir: I have the honor to present herewith the Twelfth Annual 

 Report of the Division of Farmers' Institutes. 



During the Institute year ending June 1, 1906, the institutes held 

 in PennsYlvania have been more than usually successful. Increased 

 attendance can only be ascribed to the growing interest of the 

 farmers and the desire for a higher knowledge of the many import- 

 ant lessons relating to the most approved methods to be adopted, 

 which are so essential in order to successfully engage in agricul- 

 tural pursuits. When we remember that our institutes are held 

 at a season of the year (in the winter) when heavy snows and severe 

 storms prevail, the large attendance is the more remarkable, since 

 the aged and infirm are on this account prevented from attending. 

 Too much credit can not be given our corps of County Institute 

 Chairmen, whose work is largely voluntary in its character. By 

 their imtiring efforts suitable places for holding meetings are pro- 

 cured, programs prepared, local committees organized and all ar- 

 rangements completed for holding the institutes. The entire work is 

 completed on a basis of a sum not exceeding |12.50 per day for 

 every day of institute held within a given county. Some changes 

 have been made in the corps of Institute Lecttirers, This is made 

 necessary by the calls coming from other states for a number of our 

 efficient lecturers, others by reason of age or business demands 

 upon their time have been compelled to decline work; however, we 

 are proud to say that our plan of encouraging persons to take part 

 in the program as local institute instructors has developed an army 

 of very satisfactory workers from which to fill our ranks from year 

 to year as necessity would seem to demand. 



The demand for two-day meetings is on the increase. At all two 

 day meetings five sessions are held, educational topics are placed 

 upon program for one of the evening sessions and the assistance 

 that is freely rendered by most of the County Superintendents of 

 the Public Schools is deserving of more than a passing mention. 

 These leading educators are an important force in directing the 

 attention of the farmers to the importance of the Centralized Town- 

 ship Schools and Township High Schools, as in my judgment no 

 one thing would so rapidly develop the strong, but in many in- 

 stances latent faculties of our country children than the graded 

 centralized school. In these schools lessons should be taught on 

 Soil Building, Plant Growth, Animal Husbandry, Birds, Insects, etc., 

 in fact the entire range of na.tuial things, thus eciuipping the 

 farmers' children for a more efficient and intelligent direction of 

 form operations and at the same time broadening and elevating the 



