DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 141 



for such trains except upon the Grand Trunk, for which a ten-day trip 

 was phinned hut it was final ].y given up. 



Several roads whose requests 'lor trains were declined last year have 

 asked for trains during the coming season and it is proposed to spend at 

 least three weeks in this way. 



AN APPRECIATION. 



While the preliminary work of planning for the institutes, such as 

 fixing the dates, securing speakers, making out ])rograms, etc., is done 

 in this office, the real work of making the arrangements for the insti- 

 tutes devolves upon the county secretaries and local management, as 

 unless they see that each of the details has attention, and the meetings 

 are thoroughly advertised, the institutes are likely to be failures so far 

 as interest and attendance are concerned, however carefully the work 

 in this office has been done. For these reasons the excellent work 

 done by nearly all of the county secretaires and most of the institute 

 officers is hereby gratefully acknowledged. 



Splendid service was also rendered by the institute lecturers. Sev- 

 eral of them have been on the force for a dozen years or more and 

 when they are present at an institute, favorable reports are generally 

 received. The reports received from the county institute otiicers re- 

 garding the ability of the lecturers have been, without exception, very 

 complimentary, and the efforts they have put forth and the loyalty shown 

 by them, merits the highest commendation. 



The work in this office has been under the direction and oversight of 

 my assistant. Miss Vesta G. Haney, who has been 'in charge of the office 

 in the absence of the writer, and has materially assisted in the prepara- 

 tion of this report. The supervision of the women's meetings and com- 

 munity clubs, has also been in her charge and she has offered many 

 helpful suggestions that have had much to do in securing a successful 

 institute season. 



Respectfully submitted, 



L. R. TAFT, 

 Supt. ]\[ichigan Farmers' Institutes. 



East Lansing, Mich., June 30, 1913. 



