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something over fifty years such speakers had been furnished by the State agricultural 

 society, and since the establishment of the college of agriculture at Cornell University 

 in 1868 and th(> estal>lishment of the State agricultural experiment station at Geneva 

 a few years later the workers at these two institutions have been heavily called upon. 



The first move toward the establishment of the present system of institutes was 

 begun in 1885, when Prof. I. P. Roberts, of Cornell University, and Mr. J. S. Woodward, 

 of Lockport, decided that it was possible to hold a meeting of farmers from all parts of 

 the State to consider and discuss subjects of vital interest to them. After consultation 

 with President Adams, of Cornell University, such a meeting was called to be held in 

 Morrill Hall February 16, 17, and 18, 1886. Both Professor Roberts and Mr. Woodward 

 were tireless in their efforts to advertise this meeting thoroly and make it a success, 

 and the result far exceeded their most sanguine expectations. Over 100 names 

 appeared on the register of persons attending the institute, not only from New York, 

 l:)ut from adjoining States, and at most of the sessions between 200 and 300 people were 

 present, so that after the first session the meeting had to adjourn to Library Hall, in 

 Ithaca. The meeting consisted of 6 sessions and 18 addresses, "some of which were 

 longer than the management expected," which seriously interfered with the time 

 desired for discussion, altho the audience entered into the spirit of the meeting and, so far 

 as time allowed, the subjects were discust very freely. At the close of the meeting 

 all declared that the first institute in New York State was a success, and it was 

 decided that such a meeting "should be held every year." 



A more important resolution adopted, however, was one asking the New York State 

 Agricultural Society, which was then the center around which all agricultural work 

 in the State rotated, "to undertake the work of holding a limited number of farmers' 

 institutes the next winter, and, in case they refused, to petition the legislature for a 

 State department of agriculture to carry on this work." 



Another important resolution past at this meeting was in regard to the establish- 

 ment by law of a State board of agriculture, similar to such boards in other States, 

 and a committee of ten was appointed to consider this subject. This idea, however, 

 was never accepted by the State legislature, as New York's policy is to concentrate 

 responsibility in one central head instead of in boards, the wisdom of which has 

 clearly been demonstrated since the establishment of the department of agriculture in 

 1893.' 



When the question of their undertaking to hold farmers' institutes was first presented 

 to the State agricultural society, a large number of the most influential members 

 were strongly opposed to attempting the experiment. After a long and strenuous 

 session, however, thru the zealous efforts of a few who saw the possibilities of the 

 institute movement, the majority decided to make the trial, and at a meeting of the 

 executive board held in Utica in September, 1886, it was decided to hold at least 

 three institutes that winter, and $1,050 was appropriated from the funds of the society 

 for this purpose. A committee consisting of James McCann, president of the society; 

 T. S. Harison, secretary; Maj. Henry E. Alvord, and J. S. Woodward was appointed 

 to look after this work. 



At the annual meeting of the society in 1887, largely because of the strong advocacy 

 of the institute work and his untiring efforts to make these meetings a success, J. S. 

 Woodward was elected secretary, and from that time until 1890 was practically director 

 of farmers' institutes in New York State, acting under the direction of an institute 

 committee. To him more than to any other one man is due the great success of these 

 early institute meetings. 



After careful planning the institute committee found that they could hold five 

 institutes during the winter of 1887 with the money at -their disposal. All these 

 meetings were very largely attended and great interest was shown in the addresses 

 and discussions. At the first one, at Lockport, farmers from the entire western por- 

 tion of the State were present, while the other meetings drew from as large a territory. 

 11797— No. 174—06 5 



