138 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Ringler Rose Co., 1112 Hector Bldg., Cliicago, 111. 



Himpson, 11. M. & Pons, ^'incennes, Iiid. 



Stark Bros, ^'urseries & Orchards Co., Louisiana, Mo. 



Swain -^'elsfju & Co., Chica^^o. 111. 



Wel)er, Carl H.. Greenfield, Ind. 



Wi'stera 2s ew York Nui-seiT Co., Rochester, >'. Y. 



Willett & Wheeloek, North'Collins, N. Y. 



REPORT OP^ SUPERINTENDENT OF FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



Pre*<ident J. L. Snyder: 



Dear Sir — In no previous year have so many fannei*s' institutes l)een 

 held in ^lichigan, or the interest in the work IxM^n so great. One fea- 

 ture has lieen the genernl distrihnliou of the iiuH'tiufrs. In round num- 

 ]>ers there were, in addition to the Round-uji Institute, two three-day 

 institutes, and 82 county institutes of which (50 held sessions for two 

 days. Nearly all of the othen* were in the Upper Peninsula. For the 

 first time in many years an institute has l)een held in every county in 

 the Lower Peninsula and there was hut one county, KeAveenaw, in the 

 Upfjer Peninsula which did not have at least one institute. 



In the main, the attendance was excellent Imt the continued extremely 

 cold weather and the many storms which hlockcd the railroads and hiiih- 

 Avays literally made it impossible for the i»eoi>le to get out to the in- 

 stitutes in some of the counties. On this account two or three of the 

 one-day institutes were given up entirely and it was necessai-y to jwst- 

 ]X)ne the ^^fontcalni county institute at Stanton because of the severe 

 storm of Februaiy 22 to 24. 



As usual, the attendance at a large nund^er of tlic institutes was in- 

 terferred a\ iih by the jirevalence of contagious diseases and no less than 

 ten one-day institutes were given up in .lackson. Lenawee and ^fonroe 

 counties from fear of spread of small pox which prevailed in that 

 section. 



INSTITUTE TRAINS. 



For a number of years one or more railroad institute trains have been 

 ojKM'ated dni'ing the sjiring numths. but in 11)11-12 an innovation was 

 attempted in running a "Better Wheat" special during the month of 

 August, 1011. 



The Lake Shore and ^Michigan S<mthern. Michigan Central and Cin- 

 cinnati Northern railroads co-ojjerated in furnishing the train. The fol- 

 loxAing itinerary was followed: Lake Shore road — T>ansing to Hillsdale: 

 Hillsdale to Adrian, via Brooklyn: Adrian to White Pigeon; White 

 Pigeon to Grand Ra[>ids. On the ^lichigan Central railroad the route 

 included the towns betwe<m Grand Rajads and .lackson; .Tackscm and 

 P.uchamui. vi;i Tlwee RiA-ers; P>uchanaii and .lackson. via Kalamazoo, 

 and from .Jackson 1o Addison Juucliou upon the Cincinjiati NorilKMu 

 road. 



