89 



The second institute of the series convened at Garfield, Whitman Oounty. Saturday, 

 Fi'bruary 20, 1S92. President Lilly called the meeting t > order, wlierciipon Sciiuldr 

 A .C. McCroskey was elected chairman and A. S. Beach, secretary. 



The chairman, in announcing the object of the meeting, stated that the agricultural 

 college faculty were present to discuss with others various subjects of interest to farm- 

 ers and also to extend the objects and workings of the college. The farmers were pres- 

 ent to aid in the consideration of the subjects to be discust. The numl)er in attend- 

 ance is given at 137. - 



The third institute was held at Poiueroy, Garfield County, Saturday, May 15, 1902. 

 President Lilly, calling the meeting to order, stated the object tj be that of discussing 

 the various subjects of interest t;) the farmer and fruit grower, and als;) to explain the 

 objects and workings of the college, and bring the college faculty in close touch and 

 sympathy with the industrial interests and people of the entire State. At this meeting 

 there were 109 persons in attendance. 



The legislature at its session of 1902 past an act making appropriation for farmers' 

 institutes in which the number to be held each year is definitely stated. The clause is 

 as follows: 



For maintenance and conducting farmers' institutes under direction of the regents of 

 the Washington Agricultural College and School of Science, $2,500 per year: Provided, 

 That at least one institute shall be held in each county of the State in each year. 



Under the existing organization the president of the college is the superintendent of 

 farmers' institutes and the dean of agriculture is the field agent and has direct control 

 of the execution of the work. The State is districted into four circuits— northwest, 

 southwest, northeast, and central— with an organizer in charge of each circuit. County 

 organizations have been established thruout the State, which are intrusted with the 

 duty of making local arrangements for institute meetings. In 1894, 57 institutes were 

 held; 12 were one-day, 44 were two-day, and 1 was a three-day institute. The total 

 number of sessions was 259, and the attendance is given at 15,922. Twelve speakers 

 are upon the State institute force; 8 of these are from the faculty of the agricultural 

 college and the staff of the experiment station. 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



The first movement for the organization of a system of State and county farmers' 

 institutes in West Virginia was made by A. D. Hopkins, of Kanawha Station, Wood 

 County, who issued a call on February 10, 1889, for a meeting of farmers to be held at 

 the residence of Omar Page, Lockharts Run (now Roosevelt), Wood County, on 

 February 16, 1889. 



This meeting was held at the time and place designated, with a number of farmers 

 present and with Omar Page in the chair, and A. D. Hopkins, secretary. The object 

 of the meeting was explained by the secretary as follows: 



The object of this meeting is to take steps toward organizing a State farmers' institute 

 society for the purpose of organizing and conducting a system of farmers' institutes, 

 farmers' clubs, and farmers' meetings in Wood County, and to assist in extending the 

 system thruout the State. 



The plan proposed to organize a society to be known as the "Farmers' Institute 

 Society of West Virginia," the membership to be composed of farmers and others in 

 Wood and other counties of the State who were interested in agricultural pursuits. 

 The society was to have for its main object the organization of a system of farmers' 

 institutes in the counties represented by the members, and to assist in extending the 

 system to other counties of the State with a view to establishing the work upon a uni- 

 versal and cooperative plan as follows: 



Members of the State society were to organize county institute societies; members 

 of the county societies were to organize farmers' clubs and special meetings. The 

 membership fees and annual dues for farmers' clubs, 5 cents; for county institutes, 20 



