30 



the publication of 10,000 annual reports. No appropriation was made for this State 

 organization. Two State institutes, however, were held and annual reports of the 

 same published in ] 896 and 1897. a 



In 1897 an appropriation of $7,000 per annum was made for the use of the Illinois 

 Farmers' Institute and $50 per annum additional for each county institute, the work 

 to be carried on jointly by the State and county organizations without destroying the 

 autonomy of the county institute. 6 



Thcee amounts were increased in 1899 to 18,000 jjci- annum for the State and $75 per 

 annum to each county institute, c 



In 1901 an additional appropriation of $2,500 per annum was made to the State insti- 

 tute for the purchase of books for and the maintenance and management of the Illinois 

 Farmers' Institute free libraries. These libraries consist of collections of about 45 

 volumes, each set being put up in a sulistantial case, and are for the free use of rural 

 communities. The community securing a library pays the express charges to and 

 from the central office in Springfield and has the use of a library for six months. 

 These libraries have proved very valualile adjuncts to the institute work. Two hun- 

 dred libraries are now in use and more are Ijeing equipped. 



In 1901 the number of annual reports published was increased from 10,000 to 20,000 

 per annum, d 



The general assembly of 1903 renewed the appropriation of $75 per annum to each 

 county institute, $2,500 per annum for free libraries, provided for the salary of secre- 

 tary of $2,000 per annum, and $7,500 for general expenses, a total of $19,650 per annum 

 for farmers' institutes, c 



During the year ended June 30, 1904, 105 institute meetings were held; of these, 63 

 were two-day institutes, with from four to six sessions each, and 42 were three-day insti- 

 tutes, with from six to eight sessions each. The total attendance was 84,681. an average 

 of 806 for each institute. The total cost, not including the expenses of the State insti- 

 tute, officers, and directors, was $10,673.79. Average cost per institute, $101.65. Of 

 the above cost, $7,874.97 was paid from State funds and $2,798.82 by local and county 

 contributions. Total number of days on which institutes were h-eld, 248. Total num- 

 ber of sessions, 609. 



A characteristic feature of the work of the farmers' institute is the cooperation of the 

 Illinois Association of Domestic Science, which organizes clubs and associations in the 

 several counties and cooperates with the State and county institutes in supplying num- 

 bers on the programs relating especially to home making and home keeping. 



With the inauguration of the State institute began a campaign for the development 

 of the Illinois College of Agriculture. It was largely thru the influence of the farmers' 

 institute that an appropriation of $150,000 was secured for the college of agriculture 

 building and a bill ])ast requiring the trustees of the University of Illinois to devote 

 one-half of the funds derived from the United States. appropriations for industrial edu- 

 cation to the maintenance of the college of agriculture. 



After being divorced for over twenty-five years, the farmers' institute and the College 

 of Agriculture were again united and liegan anew the development of an educational 

 system on agricultinul liiu's. 



INDIANA. 



The earliest mention of farmers' institutes in Indiana is found in the annual report 

 of the State board of agriculture for 1881. This report covers the latter part of 1881 and 



aRpt. Illinois Farmers' Inst., vols. I and II. dLaws of lU., 1901, p. 3. 



6 Laws of 111., 1897, p. 18. « Laws of 111., 1903, pp. 4-39. 



c Laws of 111., 1899, p. 21. 



