LETTI^R OF TRANSMITTAL. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Office of Experiment Stations, 



Washington, D. C, May 10, 1905. 



Sir : The act of Congress making provision for the appointment of 

 a farmers' institute specialist in the Department of Agriculture 

 defines his duties to be " to investigate and report upon the organiza- 

 tion and progress of farmers' institutes in the several States and 

 Territories, and upon similar organizations in foreign countries, with 

 special suggestions of plans and methods for making such organiza- 

 tions more effective for the dissemination of the results of the work of 

 the Department of Agriculture and the experiment stations, and of 

 improved methods of agricultural practice." 



The condition of the farmers' institute work in the States and Terri- 

 tories of this country has been to some extent ascertained, and its 

 principal features have been presented in the several reports of the 

 institute specialist to the Director of the Office of Experiment 

 Stations and in circulars and bulletins of information issued by the 

 Office. Suggestions have also been olfered, accompanied with plans 

 and methods for rendering the institutes more effective for the dis- 

 semination of the results of the work of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture and the experiment stations. 



Compliance with the remaining specification of duty enjoined by the 

 act of Congress, namely, " to investigate and report upon the organiza- 

 tion and progress of similar institutions in foreign countries," has 

 been delayed owing to the difficulties attending the conducting of for- 

 eign correspondence and to the pressure of other duties connected with 

 the work of the institute specialist. 



The accompanying manuscript, entitled "Agricultural Instruction 

 for Adults in the British Empire," gives the result of such investi- 

 tions as the farmers' institute specialist of this Office has been able to 

 make respecting the methods that have been adopted by the various 

 governments included in the British Empire in the dissemination of 

 agricultural information among their rural populations. 



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