66 



At this time the a'd of Josiah K. Brown, the first dairy commissioner in New York 

 State, was of untold value. Thru the organization of the dairy department local 

 interest was awakened and a close connection between this department and the 

 institutes gave them a standing with the State administrators, which was especially 

 valuable when the question of direct ajjpropriations came up. Among others who 

 should be mentioned as lending their encouragement at this time are James McCann, 

 of Elmira; Hezekiah Bowen, of Medina; F. D. Curtis, of Charlton, who perhaps did as 

 much as any other man to popularize the meetings with the masses; Prof. I. P. Roberts, 

 of Cornell University; Dr. E. Lewis Sturtevant, who was then head of the State experi- 

 ment station at Geneva; Maj. Henry E. Alvord, who was at that time located at Hough- 

 ton farm, in Orange County; John J. Thomas, of Union Springs; W. Judson Smith and 

 E. A. Powell, of Syracuse, beside many others who were connected with the State 

 experiment station and the college of agriculture, as well as agricultural workers 

 from adjoining States. The influence and ability of these men had much to do in 

 laying the foundation of the present success. 



The great demand for meetings in all parts of the State and the great success of this 

 first series led the agricultural society to petition the legislature for an appropriation 

 to carry on this work. The legislature saw the reasonableness of the request, and in 

 March, 1887, past the Wemple bill, appropriating " S6,000 to be used by the New York 

 State Agricultural Society in holding farmers' institutes in various parts of the State." 

 This was the first State appropriation for farmers' institutes in New York, and it 

 enabled the society to hold 20 institutes during the winter of 1887-88 and about 40 

 the following year. 



As the institutes became better known and more widely distributed over the State 

 more farmers realized the benefit to be derived from them, and it was soon found that 

 the $6,000 appropriated was wholly inadequate to carry on the work, and the legis- 

 lature of 1890 increased the appropriation to $10,000. In 1892 it was again increased 

 to $15,000 and in 1898 to $20,000. Altho the demands upon the director have increased 

 continually and a larger number of applications are received each year, no request for 

 an increased appropriation has been asked for, altho the number of meetings could be 

 doubled and held successfully. 



In January, 1891, Mr. Woodward's health broke under the strain and he was obliged 

 to give up the institute work. The agricultural society selected George T. Powell to 

 have charge of the meetings in his place. Mr. Powell carried on the work most sat- 

 isfactorily until the organization of the State department of agriculture in 1893. 

 During his term as director about 100 institutes were held each year. He introduced 

 many attractive features, among them being special horse-breeders' meetings, which 

 were largely attended. The subject of introducing the study of natural sciences as 

 applied to agriculture m our public schools had a prominent place on the programs 

 and was widely discust. In many places it was not received graciously, and the 

 change in the attitude of people toward this line of work is very marked. 



In April, 1893, Governor Flower signed what is known as "the agricultiu-al law,'' 

 which created a State department of agriculture, with a commissioner of agriculture 

 appointed by the governor at its head, this taking -the place of the State dairy depart- 

 ment and to a very great extent bringing all of the agricultural work of the State under 

 the management of one man. Under the provisions of this law the institutes, which 

 had heretofore been in charge of the State agricultural society, were taken from it and 

 placed in the department of agriculture, the law providing that the " commissioner of 

 agriculture may appoint a director of farmers' institutes." There was also an item in 

 the appropriation bill providing "that the funds should be paid out on the audit of the 

 commissioner of agricultm^e." While the wisdom of making this change was ques- 

 tioned at the time, results have shown that the State's action was wise. 



Under the provisions of this law, in February, 1893, Fred. C. Schraub, then commis- 

 sioner of agriculture, appointed George A. Smith, who was one of the State cheese 



