REPORT OF FARMERS' INSTITUTE WORK, 191 



By T. B. PARKER, Director. 



During the Institute year, from December 1, 1910, to December 1, 

 1911, there have been held 471 institutes under the direction of the 

 State Department of Agriculture. Of this number 227 were regular 

 Farmers' Institutes for men; 222 institutes for women; 15 Orchard 

 Demonstration Institutes; 6 Dairy Short Course Institutes, and 1 three- 

 day Round-up Institute or Farmers' Convention. During the year insti- 

 tutes Avere held in 97 of the 100 counties in the State, Avery, Carteret, 

 and Dare not having institutes this year. 



The attendance at the various institutes and sessions was : 



At men's meetings 33,764 



At women's meetings 16,973 



At joint session .' 6,689 



At dairy short course (25 sessions) 3,482 



At orchard demonstration 387 



At special institutes 1,873 



At Farmers' Convention 1,350 



Total attendance 64,518 



The following table illustrates the growth of institutes in the State : 



1898 — 28 institutes in 27 counties. 



1903 — 17 institutes in 16 counties. 



1904 — 58 institutes in 58 counties. 



1905 — 79 institutes in 76 counties. 

 1906 — 136 institutes in 91 counties. 

 1907 — 169 institutes in 93 counties. 

 1908 — 234 institutes in 95 counties. 

 1909—247 institutes in 93 counties. 

 1910—392 institutes in 96 counties. 

 1911 — 471 institutes in 97 counties. 



In addition to the above, there have been held two institutes for the 

 negroes, several tobacco farmers' meetings, also Boys' Corn Club meet- 

 ings. Each year's interest in the work increases, as is shown by the 

 increased attendance of farmers and their families. 



In the work we have been ably assisted by ministers, school teachers, 

 and physicians living in the rural districts, as well as the newspapers of 

 the State. The editors have given unstinted notices of the meetings and 

 advised their farmer readers to attend them. 



