FAKMERS' INSTITUTES IN THE UNITED STATES. 305 



the farmers' institute, wliile partly due to the relations that have 

 existed in the past, whereby much of the instruction given in the insti- 

 tutes has been by the teaching force of these institutions, is no doubt 

 mainly because in thirty States and Territories the institute control is 

 entirely in the hands of the colleges and stations, and in three others it 

 is about equally divided between them and the State departments of 

 agriculture. The question of the future field and efficiency of the 

 institute, therefore, affects directly the usefulness of these colleges and 

 stations as leaders in agricultural education and the institute work for 

 which they are responsible can not, therefore, be permitted to remain 

 much longer in its present undefined and unorganized condition. 



MOVABLE SCHOOLS OF AGRICULTURE. 



Much of the time of the institute specialist during the year has 

 been devoted to perfecting plans for the organization of the movable 

 schools of agriculture referred to in the last report. A bulletin 

 entitled a Course in Cheese-Making for Movable Schools of Agricul- 

 ture has been issued. The course consists of 14 lectures, with refer- 

 ences and a corresponding number of practice exercises. 



Great care was taken in the preparation of this course to have it 

 in proper pedagogic form. The difficulty of condensing the subject 

 into comparatively few lectures and at the same time insure its 

 reasonably full treatment was partially overcome by the liberal use 

 of references by the lecturer to authorities, indicating the volume and 

 page where extended descriptions may be found. 



Immediately following the lecture and preceding each practice 

 exercise a period of several hours is expected to be given to looking 

 up authorities and to collateral reading. No notes are to be taken 

 during the delivery of the lecture, but at its close a syllabus with all 

 of the references will be handed to each student. In this way the 

 undivided attention of the members of the class can be given to the 

 substance of the subject treated without their being compelled to 

 devote their time to the mere manual operation of transcribing. 



The practice exercises are upon the points presented in the lecture, 

 and vary in length from one to four hours, according to the nature of 

 the subject. A complete list of apparatus needed and of books of 

 reference is given in the bulletin, thus enabling the character and cost 

 of equipment to be ascertained and provided for. The complete out- 

 fit of apparatus for 15 students, including the library of reference, 

 need not exceed in cost four to five hundred dollars. 



A course in fruit growing is now in nress, and other courses are 

 being prepared. 

 294b— 07 20 



