30 



central office at the close of the meetings last year would indicate the wide 

 range of the sulgects discussed. New York State's agriculture is more varied 

 than that of any other State. Our people are engaged in every line of special 

 work, and in some sections of the State we have given up an entire session to 

 such subjects as growing violets under glass, rose culture, growing carnations, 

 commercial cabbage growing, growing sugar beets, and many othei's, to say 

 nothing of the more general subjects which come up. For some years we have 

 been holding special poultry institutes, special horticultural institutes, and 

 special bee-keepers' meetings, and these are increasing in attendance and interest 

 each year and are among the most profitable features of our work. On the 

 whole, the institutes have never been more popular in New York than they are 

 at present, and we have more applications ou file already than could be grati- 

 fied in four years with our present appropriation. 



NORTH CAROLINA. 

 By Tait Butler, N ale iff h. 



Farmers' institute work in North Carolina is supported by and is under the 

 control of the State department of agi'iculture. 



During 1904 institutes have been held in CO counties of the State. This is 

 probably twice the number held in any previous year. On the whole, these insti- 

 tutes have been comparatively well attended. In fact, in most of the counties 

 where institutes were held last year the interest manifested and the attendance 

 this year have been such as to give great encouragement for the future success 

 of the work. 



No record of the attendance at the institutes was kept previous to 3903, but I 

 am certain that during 1901 and 1902 it did not average over 100. During 1904, 

 while many more institutes were held, and (juite a number of these in the 

 sparsely settled mountain region of the State, where institutes had rarely or 

 never been held before, still 5 institutes had an average attendance of 510 

 each, 12 an average of 405 each, 29 an average of over 300 each, and the whole 

 series of GO had an average attendance of 203. 



Three of the 60 institutes were of two days' duration, with two sessions each 

 day ; 55 were one-day institutes of two sessions each, and 2 were of one session 

 each. 



Twelve speakers were employed from the State department of agriculture, 

 experiment station, and agricultural college; the State department of agri- 

 culture and experiment station furnishing nearly all of them. In addition, 

 about 20 local unpaid speakers were used, principally at the two-day institutes. 



The cost of holding these 60 institittes, including advertising, traveling 

 expenses, etc., but exclusive of salaries, was about $1,550. 



Nomiaajly the commissioner of agriculture is director of farmers' institutes in 

 North Carolina, but for the past two years I have had virtual char,;,v' of this work 



Since no previous attempt at organization had been made, the plan of cam- 

 paign adopted aimed at getting in touch with as many farmers as possible in 

 each institute district or county. 



A list of the leading farmers, numbering from 200 to 500 in each county, was 

 obtained through the justices of the peace in each township, and to each of 

 these farmers was sent a circular letter and a copy of the progranmae of the 

 nearest institute. In addition, posters adAertising the institutes were sent to 

 each post-office and coinitry store in each county and a copy of the programme 

 published in the local and county papers. Schedules giving location and dates of 

 all institutes were published in the leading daily, agricultural, and other State 

 papers. 



