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inspectors and who had been a very acceptable lecturer at the institutes upon dairy 

 subjects, as director of institutes, and he filled the office for three years. During Mr. 

 Smith's term of office the number of meetings was largely increased thru holding what 

 are known as "lap-over" meetings, the force being divided between two institutes 

 held in towns easy of access. While this system allows the holding of many more 

 meetings, it is not as successful as it appears on its face, from the fact that the speakers 

 do not get in close enough touch with the audiences and are overworked to such an 

 extent that they are unable to do their best. 



In 1896 C. A. Wieting appointed F. E. Dawley, the present director. Mr. Dawley 

 had been connected with the institute work since 1889, and was thoroly familiar 

 with the agriculture of the various sections of the State. He had made a close study 

 of the soils and crops in the different counties, and with his large acquaintance was 

 able to place speakers and subjects very acceptably. He inaugurated a system of 

 advertising, furnishing not only printed programs, but attractive colored posters, and 

 sent out bulletins calling attention to the institute work and to the subjects under dis- 

 cussion. He took particular pains to interest the women who were in attendance and 

 organized a corps of women speakers. The various farmers' organizations of the State 

 were interested as they never had been before, and the officers of the various organiza- 

 tions were brought together and made acquainted. Many petty strifes were adjusted, 

 as these men came to realize that they were all interested in the betterment of the 

 State's agriculture, and a very close union of the State's agricultm-al interests has 

 resulted. The institutes have greatly benefited from all this and the attendance and 

 interest increased. 



Thru lectures on our common school system a renewed interest has been awakened 

 in our rural schools, and the assistance of the State department of public instruction 

 has been asked and granted to such an extent that at nearly every institute held during 

 the winter of 1903-4 a representative of this department has been present and addrest 

 the meeting on school subjects. In many instances the school children have been 

 invited in and the speakers have attempted to make their remarks interesting to them, 

 touching upon bird, animal, and vegetable life in such terms as are readily under- 

 stood. 



Some ten years ago an effort was made to interest the farmers in good roads, but the 

 speakers selected were not acceptable and the movement probably received a setback 

 from their radical recommendations. Under Mr. Dawley's directorship this subject 

 has again been taken up and at nearly every meeting is advocated and discust. The 

 speakers are made thoroly familiar with road laws and the results in sections where 

 they have been in operation and the antagonism to the good-road movement is reduced 

 to a minimum. The State engineer's office has furnished a speaker at many of the 

 meetings, who has proved very acceptable. 



The use of the stereopticon has been developed to a very great extent for the evening 

 lectures and has been a most successful educational feature. 



Nowhere has the poultry interest been so thoroly advocated as in New York, a 

 speaker on this subject having been in attendance at practically every meeting held 

 since 1894, and the great advance in this industry in the State shows the result. 



The present director has taken advantage of the strength of all the agricultural organi- 

 zations in the State to increase the attendance at the institutes, greatly to the benefit 

 of both the organizations and the meetings. For some reason or other many of these 

 organizations were at low ebb in 1896. The annual meeting of the State Dairymen's 

 Association of the winter before was so poorly attended that it was held in the parlor 

 of a hotel. The next winter the director furnished speakers, which gave one of the best 

 dairy programs rendered at any institute held in the East, and the attendance was 

 about 300. Every effort has been made to make this program attractive up to the 

 present time, until last winter over 1,400 people were present at the meeting. The 

 various horticultural, poultry, and bee-keepers' societies have been assisted in the 



