320 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



THE STATE REPORTS. 



As the institutes develop, changes of greater or less importance 

 occur in the methods pursued by the several States in conducting their 

 work. In order that these changes may be known and recorded the 

 following brief statements are given under the names of the respect- 

 ive States and Territories calling attention to the features of the insti- 

 tute work in each State and Territory that are worthy of note and 

 likely to prove of value for present information and for future 



reference : 



ALABAMA. 



Institute director. — G. A. Gary, professor of veterinary science, Alabama Polytechnic 

 Institute, Auburn. 



The legislature of Alabama has made no provision for organizing or 

 maintaining farmers' institutes. The work at present conducted is 

 wholly voluntary and is by the board of trustees of the Polytechnic 

 Institute and of the agricultural experiment station. This board 

 provides for the expenses of the institutes from college and station 

 funds and appoints the director, who is charged with organizing and 

 conducting the work. The board also grants leave of absence to 

 members of the college faculty and of the experiment station staff to 

 give instruction in institute meetings. 



During the year fourteen of these instructors participated in this 

 work. The subject of ridding the State of cattle ticks, and thereby 

 of the tick fever, was made a leading topic of institute discussion. 

 An annual round-up, known as the farmers' institute and summer 

 school, was held under the auspices of the Polytechnic Institute at 

 Auburn, in July. The school was continued through 18 sessions and 

 had an average attendance of 337 persons. Tliis is the third yearly 

 meeting of this character that has been held. The degree of interest 

 is indicated by the attendance this year of 207 over that of 1903, and 

 of 92 over that of 1904. 



Institute work in Alabama differs from that in most of the North- 

 ern States, in that it is distributed throughout all of the months of 

 the year. During last year 85 sessions of institutes were held, with 

 an aggregate attendance of 3,744. In addition to the college and 

 station force ten lecturers were brought in from other States to assist 

 in giving instruction, all of whom were experts in some department 

 of agricultural industry. The small amount of money at the disposal 

 of the State director has greatly interfered with and limited his work, 

 only S600 being available for institute purposes last year. 



Institutes for colored people have been conducted under the direc- 

 tion of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. The lecture 

 service is performed chiefly by the members of the facult}^ of the 



