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institute directors and a I'epresentative from each county institute in the Con- 

 firessional district were held ; the superintendent of institutes attended these 

 conferences and circuits of institutes, and dates and phices for the ensuing 

 year were agreed upon. One hundred and nine schohirships in the college of 

 agriculture were awarded through the institute. 



In reply to questions by Mr. Creehuan, Mr. Hostetter stated that about 10,000 

 copies of the annual report of the Illinois farmers' institutes were distributed 

 to the institute organization through its officers, and 10,000 copies were turned 

 over to the secretary of state for distribution to libraries, members of the legisla- 

 ture, and others. The report is printed by the State as a p;irt of the regular 

 State i)rinting. 



INDIANA. 

 By W. C. Latta, Lafayette. 



Number of institutes lield, 175 ; two-day meetings, 1(55 ; one-day meetings, 10 ; 

 total, 340 days and 832 sessions. 



Every comity had one institute and many had two or more. 



The average attendance, 338 ; aggregate, 59,189. 



Assigned si)eakers, 48, 9 being from the university and experiment station 

 staff. 



Ten or twelve separate sessions for women were held. Women had charge 

 of a few general sessions of the farmers' institutes. 



Two speakers, as a rule, are assigned to each institute. The average cost to 

 the State for speakers was about .$33. 



The direct allowance to each county for local expenses was, as heretofore, 

 $25. The aggregate cost to the State for speakers and local expenses was 

 about $47. The expenses of the superintendent's office, including salaries, 

 printing and stationery, postage, etc., were about $2,000. 



During the past year, over half of the counties adopted the permanent form 

 of local organization for institute work recommended by the general man- 

 agement. 



Woman's auxiliaries exist in eight or ten counties. Steps have already been 

 taken to have a general organization of the farm women of the State. 



The si)ecial features of the work during the past year were corn judging at 

 many of the meetings, live-stock judging at a few institutes, and the presentation 

 of the subject of good roads at about 25 of the meetings. 



Attention is now being called to the importance of interesting the young 

 people of the farm and iutrodui-iug the subject of nature study and agricul- 

 ture in the public schools. Steps already taken insure that these important 

 matters will receive attention at most of the institutes the coming season. 



Mr. Latta, replying to questions, stated that definite agricultural instruction 

 is not given in the public schools of Indiana except in a few instances. Dui-ing 

 the past year for the first time a few teachers began the use of some of the ele- 

 mentary treatises ou agriculture. lie has urged the development of nature 

 study. 



LOUISIANA. 



By J. G. Lee, Baton Rouge. 



I want to preface my report by saying that there is each year a continued and 

 greater interest manifested in my State in the farmers' institute work — a work 

 only limited in its possibilities for doing great good to the adult farmers by the 



