37 



MONTANA. 

 By F. B. LiNFiELD, Bozemaix. , 



The total number of meetings held during the year was 47, the number of sessions 

 being 100, and our total attendance was about 7,000. The speakers employed on the 

 trips for the year numbered 1*0, and the work was carried on at a cost' of $4,000. 

 This work is new to the State, having lieen started on a systematic plan only about 

 four years ago. Tlu' interest, however, is increasing very materially. Our big ditfi- 

 culty is to get a sutiicient numl)er of experiencetl workers that we can depentl upon 

 to help us in this work. Our i)lan of arrangement is to work through local farmers' 

 institutes or agricultural organizations where these exist, and wliere they do not to 

 delegate some person as special rei)resentative of the l)oard to look afterthe adver- 

 tising locally. No particularly new features have been introduced into the work dur- 

 ing the past year, except that the number and places of meeting are increasing con- 

 siderably. During the earlier part of this month we planned and carried out with 

 considerable sui'cess a normal institute course at the agricultural college, which I 

 believe in the future development of our work promises to be of very great help. 



NEBRASKA. 



By E. A. BrKNETT, Lincoln. 



The year ending June .SO, 1905, was perhaps the most successful, from the stand- 

 point of attendance and general interest, of any farmers' institute year yet held. The 

 institute work in Nebraska never begins very early, the middle or latter part of 

 November being about as early as our farmers can find leisure to attend such meet- 

 ings. Most institute points prefer dates from the first of January to the middle of 

 March. Our institutes began last year on November 18 and closed March 30 of the 

 present year. 



One hundred and fifty institutes were held. Of these 88 were one-day institutes 

 and 56 were two-day institutes. Six institutes were held for three or more days. 

 Four hundred and eighty sessions were held. The total attendance, according to 

 the Government methods of calculation, was 67,241. Institutes were held in 68 

 counties. 



Something over |6,000 w-as expended in this work. The first year of this bien- 

 nium running below $6,000 left a larger amount for the second year. A slight 

 deficit was also created by the scheduling of more institutes than could be held with 

 the funds available. The university paid this deficit. 



Farmers' institutes profit materially on account of their relation to the university. 

 One thousand five hundred dollars was paid for salaries of the superintendent and 

 assistant superintendent. Eighteen speakers belonging to the university staff attended 

 60 institutes, spending eighty-two days therein, receiving expenses only for this work. 

 Twenty other State lecturers were employed, being paid a per diem'and expenses. 

 About 75 per cent of the institute work is done by these lecturers, who have no 

 other relation to the university. This percentage is only approximate. 



There were no women's institutes during the period covered by this report, but at 

 three or four points the women took charge of certain sessions of the institute, fur- 

 nishing the programme and being responsible for the same. 



We endeavor to form permanent organizations at each institute point. These are 

 not necessarily county organizations, some large counties having as many as three 

 institutes and as many organizations. The permanent organization elects a presi- 

 dent, a secretary and treasurer, and a local committee to look after the expenses and 

 the programme. 



Last year, at many institutes, corn shows were held in connection with the insti- 

 tute, the corn on exhibition being judged by the speaker on that subject. 



Institutes are advertised through the State agricultural papers, by the printing of 

 posters and by mailing postal cards from the central office to a list of farmers sup- 

 plied by the local committee. Programmes are made by the assistant superintend- 

 ent, and dates are published at least six weeks before holding the institute. 



Among the special subjects treated last year were the selection and improvement 

 of corn, the production of forage, tillage and rotation of crops, potato culture, the 

 improvement of live stock and the feeding of cattle, care and management of swine, 

 care and management of poultry, home adornment, scientific methods in the prepa- 

 ration of food, etc. At twelve institutes the question of improvement of earth roads 

 was discussed, the "King" method of dragging the country roads being advocated. 



