83 



TEXAS. 



Fourteen years ago, in 1892, under the management of a prominent agricultural 

 journal printed at Dallas, a series of farmers' institutes was held in Texas with the coop- 

 eration of the railroads, the agricultural and mechanical college, and a number of volun- 

 teer lecturers, including such men as R. F. Butler, Doctor Folsetter, W. S. Marshall, and 

 others. Those institutes were followed by a request addrest to the Texas legislature 

 for State aid in the support of the movement. The legislature did not then appreciate 

 the importance of this work, and when asked for an appropriation for its support refused 

 to provide any funds for that purpose. 



In July, 1897, the Farmers' Congress, a State organization, adopted a new constitu- 

 tion, in which the following resolution was incorporated: 



Resolved, That the objects of this organization shall be to develop accurate and 

 scientific knowledge of the arts of agriculture, to establish and encourage farmers' 

 institutes, etc. 



This statement of purpose respecting the institutes produced no definite results until 

 1902, when the journal before referred to supplied a State organizer at its own expense, 

 and, with the assistance of public-spirited men, aided by the railroads, a series of insti- 

 tutes was held, beginning with one at Terrell, August 27, and continuing thruout the 

 autumn and winter. The effect of this series of meetings upon the general public was 

 such that the legislature of Texas in 1903 appropriated |5,400 to the Agricultural and 

 Mechanical College of Texas for farmers' institute purposes for two years. 



Immediately upon the passage of this act a member of the faculty of the college was 

 appointed by the board of directors to take charge of organizing and conducting insti- 

 tutes. R. L. Bennett was chosen institute director and was later succeeded by J. W. 

 Carson, of College Station. 



During the past year the director has organized 150 institutes in the several counties 

 and has also formed a large number of truck-growers' associations. The director and 

 the president of the college arrange the dates, places, and programs for institute meet- 

 ings. All of the local expenses are met by the citizens of the community in which the 

 institute is held, including very frequently the entertainment of the State lecturers. 

 One hundred and forty-four institutes were held during the year, 140 of these being 

 one-day institutes and 4 two-day. The total number of sessions was 178 and the attend- 

 ance 15,1.30. There were 34 lecturers on the State force, 23 of whom were supplied by 

 the agricultural college and experiment station, who contributed two hundred and 

 eighty-four days of time. The cost of the institutes for the year was §3,950. Two 

 thousand and seven hundred dollars of this was from the State appropriation and the 

 balance from an appropriation made by the United States Department of Agriculture 

 out of the boll weevil fund, to be expended under the supervision of the president of 

 the college as collaborator. 



County organizations are formed under a constitution and by-laws suggested by the 

 State director. By the terms of this constitution the local societies agree to meet once 

 each month for the discussion of agricultural questions. Two round-up institutes were 

 held, at which 1 ,250 persons were in attendance. The railroads have cooperated gen- 

 erously by supplying transportation to the lecturers, and in many instances furnishing 

 complete entertainment while the lecturers were on their road. 



UTAH. 



Up to July 1, 1896, the only farmers' institute work done in the State was represented 

 by occasional popular talks given by members of the faculty of the Agricultural College 

 of Utah, and of the staff of the experiment station. On July 1, 1896, a bill approved 

 by the governor March 28, 1896, went into effect, granting the agricultural college the 

 sum of $1,500 annually for the purpose of conducting farmers' institutes in the State 

 and for publishing an annual report of institute work.o 



oSeeU. S. Dept. Agr., Office of Experiment Stations Bui. 135 (Revised), p. 31. 



