34 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



By A. L. Martin. Harrisburg. 



The year's institutes ending June 1, 1904. may be fairly classed as carrying 

 with them a larger attendance and higher degree of interest manifested on the 

 part f)f the great mass of farmers of the State than in any iirevious year. There 

 were held in all 325 days of institute, divided into 804 sessions, with an average 

 attendance per session of 180. The State college and experiment station sup- 

 plied Prof. George C. Butz to do institute work fourteen days and Prof. M. S. 

 McDowell forty -eight days, making a total of sixty-two days' service rendered 

 institutes by the State college and experiment station, in one of the five sections 

 which were in progress at the same time. Those representing scientific agricul- 

 ture attending the other four sections were Prof. R. L. Watts, Scalp Level. Pa.; 

 Prof. Franklin :Menges, York, Pa. ; I'rof. Wells W. Cooke. Washington, D. C, 

 and Dr. I. A. Thayer, New Castle, Pa.; these last four representing 272 days. 

 The State aj>propriated for carrying on the work in 190:^4, $17,500. There 

 were employed in all 57 lecturers representing the State and ;>39 local speakers, 

 or persons from the locality where institutes were held, who joined with the 

 State force in giving instruction. Amongst this number were most of the county 

 superintendents of schools, who attended our educational sessions and addressed 

 the institutes on one of the most vital ([uestions, namely, the importance of 

 rightly directed education for the farming people. A farmers' normal insti- 

 tute was held at Bellefonte, Pa., October 11-15, 1905, at which prominent 

 institute instructors were present from adjoining States. The United States 

 Department of Agriculture favored us w ith the presence of D. .T. Ci"osl\v, who 

 gave an illustrated lecture on Nature Study and Agriculture in the I*ul)lic 

 Schools. Prof. W. G. Johnson, editor of the American Agriculturist gave an 

 address on The Art of Instruction as a Science. Mr. T. D. llarman, editor of the 

 National Stockman and Farmer, made an address on The Influence of Local 

 Institute Workers. I'rof. John Hamilton, farmers' institute specialist from the 

 National Department, Washington, I). ('., ]»resented a paper on the subject Nor- 

 mal Schools of Agricultiu'e for Institute AVorkers. The success of this meeting 

 is largely due to the Pennsylvania State college and experiment station for 

 instruction on the lines of soil improvement, fertilizers, animal industry, fruit 

 culture, dairy instruction, etc. As a result of this meeting a more uniform 

 instruction has been carried on the past year throughout the State, and year 

 Ijy year it is l>ecoming more manifest that a knowledge of agricultural chemistry 

 and botany is an essential equipment which the institute instructor must iiosse.ss 

 in order to give the best instruction at farmers' institutes ; that is, this knowl- 

 edge coupled with .actual practice and experience upon the farm. In l)rief, the 

 I'ennsylvania farmers' institutes are multiplying rai)idly their field of useful- 

 ness and opening up the way for the adoption of the most approved methods 

 of agriculture. 



QUEBEC. 



By C. A. GiGAULT, Quebec. 



Agricultural lecturers during year 1903-4 : W. Grignon, O. E. Dalaire, Gus- 

 tave Boyer, Henri Groulx, Gustave C. Dubuque, W. I'. Nelson, L. E. Carufel, 

 (Jeorge Moore, and Moise Bazinet. 



Amount paid for fees, traveling expenses, etc., .$G.745.(>4. Moreover, traveling 

 expenses of lecturers coming from Ottawa to treat si)ecial (piestions and to 

 whom traveling expenses amounted to more than .^SOo were paid by the 

 Quebec government. Number of lectures, 431 ; attendance, 53.000. 



