52 



Association; E. H. Atwood, president State Farmers' Alliance; Eric Olson, secretary- 

 State Farmers' Alliance; Wyman Elliott, president State Horticultural Society. 



The membership of the board was subsequently modified, so that it now consists of 

 three members chosen from the State board of regents, and of the presiding officers of 

 the State Agricultural Society, of the State Horticultural Society, and of the State 

 Dairy Association. The regents on the board are appointed by the president of the 

 board of regents. This board of administration appoints the superintendent and 

 assistant superintendent of institutes from year to year and defines their duties. They 

 map out the course and location of the meetings that shall be held during the season. 

 The details of this work are left with the superintendent. 



In April, 1887, Mr. Gregg was chosen superintendent and was given entire charge of 

 the work. The only restrictions put upon him were to counsel in a general way with 

 the board of control then established, as to when the institutes would be held, to report 

 progress at stated times, and to account in the customary way for the money used. 



In determining where institutes shall be held due regard is had, first, to the needs of 

 the locality; second, to convenience and economy in money and time when traveling 

 from one institute to another; third, to the response on the part of the farmers at pre- 

 vious institutes that have been held there; and, fourth, to the urgency of the requests 

 for institutes that have been made liy letter or otherwise to the proper parties. These 

 requests should be addrest to the superintendent or to the chairman of the board of 

 administration. 



The winter circuit of the institutes usually begins with December and ends with 

 March. The summer circuit commonly begins in the closing days of May and termi- 

 nates with July. As there are more than eighty counties in the State, it is not possible, 

 as at present conducted, to hold an institute in each county every year. 



The superintendent maps out, for submission to the board of administration, the 

 institute circuit for the season and arranges the details of the institute meetings. He 

 edits the Institute Annual, signs all checks for institute expenses, and reports to the 

 board of administration from time to time the condition and progress of the institute 

 work. 



The institutes are advertised by means of posters, handbills, and fly sheets. Prior 

 to the issuing of these an advance agent is sent out to visit the various localities desiring 

 institutes. If the way is clear for the locating of the institute at a given point, the 

 advance agent selects a suitable hall and secures the cooperation of the business men 

 of the locality in advertising the meetings. 



The institute teaching force is selected with great care. Only those who have 

 shown capacity to instruct are permitted to lecture. Charts, models, a cooking outfit, 

 dairy apparatus, portable blackboard, etc., for illustrative purposes are provided by 

 the superintendent. 



The sessions of the winter institutes were formerly continued for two days. This has 

 been modified until now by far the largest number are one-day institutes. The sum- 

 mer meetings usually begin about May 20 and extend thru June. These are all one- 

 day meetings and are made up of two sessions. 



A feature of the institute in Minnesota is the use of the living animal on the platform 

 for illustrative purposes in lecturing upon animal-husbandry topics. In summer these 

 demonstrations are frequently held in the street. 



The attendance at the Minnesota meetings has always been very large. As many as 

 1,200 persons have been present in a single day. The total ruiuIxt for the year 1904, 

 present at the 154 institutes held was over 46,000. 



A great deal of attention has been paid by the institute board to giving instruction in 

 the breeding, feeding, and handling of dairy herds, as well as in the manufacture of 

 dairy products. 



In 1890 a cooking school was made an adjunct of the institut(> work. Good cooking 

 is now taught in the Minnesota institutes as regularly as good farming. Charts, show- 



