Farmers^ Week in Agricultural College. 115 



An original idea, inaugurated by this office, for the purpose of 

 exploiting the natural advantages of Missouri and the State's pre- 

 eminence in the production of certain crops, and advertising the progress 

 of the State, was started last year by the publication of a number of 

 monographs, which have proved a popular method of disseminating 

 knowledge about the State. Four of these have been published up to 

 this time, viz.: "A Tip on Missouri Corn," ''Poultry Points and 

 Profits," "Testimonials on Missouri Roads," and "A Billion Berries," 



Farmers' Institutes. — Through the Farmers' Institute meetings the 

 Board exerts its greatest influence on the agriculture of the State. The 

 improvement made in these meetings during the last ten years has l)een 

 in the adoption of more systematic methods in conducting the meetings 

 and in eliminating all but sound, practical instruction. During the 

 early years of the farmers' institute work in Missouri, often four to 

 eight lecturers were sent to one place to hold a meeting, but now it is 

 seldom that more than two lecturers are detailed to hold a meeting, 

 and many meetings are held with but one lecturer. It has been found 

 more profitable to discuss one or two subjects thoroughly than to touch 

 lightly on a number of subjects, better results following. A number of 

 new methods have been adopted — some of them original with this office. 

 One plan has been to hold meetings in the district school houses so as 

 to reach the farmers not accessible to the towns. In holding these 

 ineetings one or two lecturers travel through the country districts and 

 hold meetings with the school during the day and a meeting for the 

 farmers in the evening. The increased inquiry for bulletins and the 

 interest manifested in the corn contest work following the district 

 meetings, is evidence of the good that has been accomplished. The in- 

 stitute exhibit car was first used by Missouri. It was first tried by the 

 Missouri Fruit Experiment Station of Mountain Grove for the purpose 

 of demonstrating methods in spraying fruit trees, and the first trial 

 was made by John T. Stinson, then director of that station, who had a 

 box car filled up with numerous spraying apparatus and gave demonstra- 

 tions in spraying and mixing spray material to the farmers who gath- 

 ered at stations along the route. Mr. Stinson was assisted by Colonel 

 G. W. Waters, a representative of the State Board of Agriculture, who 

 was tiie veteran institute lecturer of Missouri. This plan was next 

 taken up by the Board of Agriculture and the Agricultural College, in 

 co-operation with two of the railroads of the State. An exhibit car was 

 fitted up with specimens of improved corn, wheat, alfalfa and other 

 grains, grasses and vegetables, showing the work of improvement of the 

 Experiment Station. These cars were used for two or three weeks each 

 year, holding meetings and giving demonstrations throughout the terri- 



