32 



It was not especially planned to inaugurate any new lines of work, but one 

 subject tbat was made particularly prominent at all meetings was tbat of dairy 

 husbandry. For the first time in North Dakota institute work a woman speaker 

 was added to the C(»r]ts for a part of the meetings. This feature was so enthusias- 

 tically received that a woman speaker wil! be regularly attached to the insti- 

 tute corps and an effort made to have her speak at every meeting held the pres- 

 ent year. 



OKLAHOMA. 



By J. B. Thoburn, Guthrie. 



While farmers' institute meetings have Iieen held in Oklahoma for ten or 

 twelve years past, there was no attempt at systematic effort along this line, 

 save what was put forth by the agricultural ;ind mechanical college and experi- 

 ment station, and, in the nature of things, the college faculty and experiment- 

 station staff could not act in an organizing capacity in distant parts of the 

 Territory. The board of agriculture was organized under the laws of the 

 Territory December IS, 1902, and its office was opened at the Territorial capital 

 April 3, 1003, since which time a systematic effort has been made to organize 

 the institute work on a permanent and progressive basis. As constituted by 

 law, the boanl of agriculture stands in very intimate as well as representative 

 relationship to the farmers" institute, as the six members of the board are 

 selected, two each year for three-year terms, by a meeting composed of one 

 delegate from each chartered county farmers' institute. Besides the county 

 institutes, which are organized under the provisions of the law, local institutes 

 are also organized. These local institutes are usually permanent organizations 

 also. During the twelve months ended June 30. 1!)04, there were 52 institute 

 meetings held in the Territory, with a total attendance of 5,400. While the 

 ■work is a new one, it has l)een welcomed by the people in nearly every com- 

 nuniity in which it has been introduced, iind the farmers' institute workers, 

 who have had the work in charge, feel greatly encouraged by the prospect. An 

 effort will be made to establish permanent organizations in the Indian Territory 

 as soon as the two Territories are united into one Commonwealth. The diversity 

 of soil and crop conditions in Oklahoma, together with the composite character 

 of its population, renders the necessity of effective farmers' institute work 

 doubly appai-ent at this time. Public sentiment among the people generally 

 and in the press is very favorable to the movement. 



ONTARIO. 



By Georoe a. Putnam, Toronto. 



In reporting tb^ work of the fanners' and women's institutes for the past 

 year I may state, in the first place, that the system followed for the past few 

 .A ears has jiroved to be i>roductive of such good results that no material changes 

 liave been made for some time. The system followed was very fully exi)lained 

 Ity my predecessor before your convention of last year. It is impossible to 

 give an exact and distinct report for the farmers' and women's institutes in all 

 particulars. 



The niniilier of meetings held by the farmers' institutes during the past year 

 was 833. Seven hundred and fifteen of these were under the direct control of 

 the sui)erinti>ndent, while the others were special meetings gotten up by the 

 officers of the institutes concerned. Of the 715, 599 were one-day meetings, 



