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funds at our t'ommand. It is those mostly whoiu we desire to reach and teach, 

 and from all parts of the State comes a constant demand for institute organiza- 

 tions. We held, during the year coming to a close, 50 institutes in 37 of the 

 59 parishes, with an average attendance of 280, and a total of more than 14,000. 



In addition to these institutes, there are some forty-odd fruit and truck grow- 

 ers' associations, now well organized, conducting their affairs with material suc- 

 cess and development of this industry, for which jiai'ts of the State, both alluvial 

 and hill lands, are well adapted. In all cases where intensified farming is fol- 

 lowed with close attention to the requirements of particular fruits and vege- 

 tables, with liberal use of suitable fertilizers for products and soil, the net re- 

 sults per acre have been largely remunerative, surpassing the yield and net 

 results of any yield of staple crops, such as cane, cotton, and rice. In many 

 instances, and one in particular, at Roseland, Tangipahoa Parish, where busi- 

 ness methods and careful attention are paid to all the details of truck farming, 

 supplemented with the free use of fertilizers best adapted to the soil and irri- 

 gation from pumping wells is followed, the profits have been enormous. At 

 Roseland, a small farm of 25 acres, with 10 acres in pasture and 15 in cultiva- 

 tion, the vegetable crops have netted a yield of $5,000 after all farm expenses, 

 including cost of marketing, had been paid. Many farmers are embarking in 

 this industry, and, A\'ith railroad facilities and lands adapted to the growth of 

 garden products, are reaping a good annual income. The department keeps in 

 touch with all these organizations, encouraging and lending every assistance 

 possible by sending practical and successful truck growers to lecture and give 

 instruction along these lines, which have awakened many farmers to the im- 

 portance of this industry, and done much to improve methods and give a clear 

 conception of the great importance of divei'sified farming. 



At the places of meeting permanent local farmers' institute clubs are organ- 

 ized, with a local president, secretary, and vice-president for each ward in the 

 parish in which these institutes are held. The local organizations serve as 

 local headquarters for the annual visit of the corps of institute workers, and 

 assist materially in the distribution of agricultural literature, jirogrammes, and 

 posters, and doing missionary work in advance of the meetings, and acting as 

 representatives, locally, of the I;Ouisiana State board of agriculture and immi- 

 gration. These local organizations are composed of progressive farmers seek- 

 ing agricultural knowledge and desiring in every way to improve their condi- 

 tions along these lines, and tliey form the official link connecting the local organ- 

 izations with the State department of agriculture at the capitol l)uilding. It is 

 also the purpose of the commissioner to hold, at as early a date as practicable, a 

 general " round-up " of all the institute workers and members of club.s at the 

 Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, at Baton 

 Rouge, La., for the purpose of consulting, exchanging views and opinions, and 

 receiving suggestions looking to the continued expanding, improvement, and bet- 

 terment of this important work undertaken and being done l)y our department. 

 The work is not over, as the closing results indicate that our institutes 

 have a larger attendance than those held in any previous year. The work 

 is not only well in hand witli the smaller farmers, but is rapidly extend- 

 ing to the large sugar, cotton, and rice planters, with promise of good results 

 for the future. Another new feature that I desire to mention Is the discussion 

 of the good-]-oads movement by the department and the cooperation of the 

 United States good-roads expert, to seriously engage the attenion and thought 

 of our people, and from now on this will be the slogan of the department until 

 the good work is accomplished and some systematic laws passed by which we 

 can see the fruit of our labor c:irrie;l (,:i more economically and successfully. 

 Through the work of the farmers' institute:-, the State board of education has 



