31 



As ft nucleus for a penuaneiit Icnal organization that will finally take charge 

 of the arrangements for the institute and push tlu' woik to tiie point of making 

 it of popular interest, a successful effort has been made to organize a committee 

 of active farmers in most of the counties where institutes have been held this 

 year. One at-tive man was selected by those at the institute from each town- 

 shii) in the county and a chairman chosen from among their number. 



To a limited extent this plan of organization was adopted last year and this 

 J ear. Our most successful institutes haA'e been in cooperation with and 

 through the assistance of these local institute connnittees. 



NORTH DAKOTA. ' 



By E. E. Kaufman. Bisnnirck. 



The total number of institute jueetings in North Dakota during the past 

 year was -lc>. Twenty-three were one-day and 2o two:day meetings, making a 

 total of sixty-nine days of institute work, holding 151 sessions. The attendance 

 at all institutes was lo.OC.T. The method of computing the attendance was that 

 suggested by this association last jear. It has been our system to hold one and 

 two day meetings with the same force, but owing to the larger number of speak- 

 ers reqiiired for the two-day meetings I think this plan will be discontinued. 

 It is quite likely that a series of two-day meetings will he held and then fol- 

 lowed up with a series of one-day meetings, ^fixing the two and one day 

 institutes causes considerable rearrangement in the presentation of subjects by 

 the speakers. 



The total amount of money expended for institute work the past year was 

 .'F4.3<jT.7<!, of which .$l.(ii)2..Sl' were spent in the publication of the institute 

 annual for 1003. This would leave a balance of $3,oi>4.94, out of which must be 

 paid the salaries of the institute speakers, hotel expenses, railroad fare, adver- 

 tising, stenographer, and all other necessary office expenses. The places where 

 institutes were held were retjuired to furnish a hall, properly heated and lighted, 

 and assi.st in advertising the meeting. By this means the institute board was 

 able to save some of the money appropriated by the State for more important 

 work in connection with the institutes. 



The total numl>er of speakers employed during the institute season was 14. 

 Five of these were from the agricultural college and experiment station and in 

 some ca.ses attended but two or three meetings. The regular number of 

 speakers supplied for a two-day meeting was five, and as our one and two day 

 meetings were not separated there was usually five speakers at each of the one- 

 day institutes, which, in my .iudgment, is at least one too many. 



Three series of institutes were held the past year. The first series opened 

 December 1 and continued until the holiday period. The second series opened 

 January 4 and continued until March 5. The third was a series of seven meet- 

 ings held during the month of .June. As before stated, the one and two day- 

 meetings were held in conjunction. In scheduling the institutes the institute 

 board considered the applications on file, which numbered 75, and used their 

 best judgment in locating the institutes. The schedule was so arranged that 

 each institute was advertised four weeks in advance. I>arge posters were fur- 

 nished the local counnittee by the institute board. Other methods of advertising 

 were then suggested to the local committee, and in nearly every instance where 

 the local committee was esi)ecially active the attendance was large and the 

 interest correspondingly marked. 



23344— No. 1.54— <»5 m 3 



