Farmers' Week in Agricultural College. 117 



the leading subject for institute work for several years. During the 

 year 1903, in co-operation with the Missouri World's Fair Commission, 

 a corn contest was held in every county in the State, and from that 

 time until this, the subject of corn improvement has been made the 

 prominent feature of most of the institute meetings. As a result of 

 this movement, the State Corn Growers' Association was organized; 

 also, many local associations ; and doubtless millions of dollars have been 

 added to the farmers' wealth on account of the increased yields of 

 com brought about by using better seed and giving better cultivation. 



The holding of women's institutes has been organized during the 

 last year and promises good results for the future. The greatest diffi- 

 culty we have found has been to secure competent help, but the few 

 meetings held during the past year have had very gratifying results. 



The organization of the extension short courees, or six day insti- 

 tutes, for which a special appropriation of $12,000 was made to the 

 Board by the 45th General Assembly, I consider an important advance 

 made. A number of these meetings have been held during the past 

 two years with an attendance varying from 200 to 500, and I look to- 

 this plan as being the one that will give the farmers the most substan- 

 tial instruction. 



The Farm Boys' Encampment, first organized by S. M. Jordan, 

 farmers institute specialist of the State Board of Agriculture, has been 

 the means of interesting several thousand boys in higher ideals of 

 farm life and of calling their attention to the advantages offered them 

 by the Agricultural College. 



State Road Improvement. — For years no material progress had 

 been made in the method of improving the roads in Missouri and the 

 first important forw^ard step was the development of the road drag 

 which was begun by this office in 1901, and through the holding of road 

 meetings and the giving of demonstrations throughout the State, the 

 usefulness of the road drag created a demand for a better road system. 

 In January, 1904, at a State Road Convention, held during Farmers'^ 

 "Week in Columbia, the writer outlined the following plan for a better 

 road system in Missouri : The establishment of the office of State High- 

 way Engineer as a department of the Board of Agriculture; the crea- 

 tion of a State road improvement fund to give State aid to the counties 

 in making permanent improvement of the roads; giving authority to 

 the county courts to levy 25 cents on each $100 valuation for the benefit 

 of the country road fund ; creating the office of County Highway En- 

 gineer to be appointed by the county court. 



Every one of these suggestions was adopted by the convention as a 

 road platform, and this was followed by an endorsement from a number- 



