farmers' institutes in the united states. 327 



Since the organization of the farmers' institute of Hawaii, the 

 annual meetings have been held at the Kamehameha School for 

 Boys, which has an agricultural course in connection with mechanical 

 training. The students all attend this annual farmers' intstitute. 



During the last several meetings of the farmers' institutes of Hawaii, 

 an effort has been made to have the subjects of the several addresses 

 of each meeting pertain to a single definite branch of agriculture, 

 rather than to discuss subjects widely removed from each other. In 

 furtherance of this, special topics are arranged in advance for discus- 

 sion in the open meeting, giving definite notice to and sufficient time 

 for preparation b}^ those who desire to participate in the discussions. 



IDAHO. 



Institute director. — H. T. French, director Agricultural Experiment Station, Moscow. 



The difficulties connected wnith the holding of farmers' institutes 

 in Idaho are principally geographical. The peculiar conformation 

 of the State, the mountain chains which divide it, and the transporta- 

 tion facilities, together with the sparse population, all contribute to 

 making the work time-consuming and expensive. Were it not for 

 the fact that the railroads furnish free transportation to institute 

 workers it would be impossible with the $1,000 appropriated for 

 institute work to carry it on creditably. In one instance the institute 

 director was compelled to travel over 1,000 miles to reach the insti- 

 tute locality, and that single trip in which comparatively few insti- 

 tutes were held involved over 2,000 miles of travel. 



Twenty-one institutes were held last year, consisting of 105 sessions. 

 They were attended by 7,875 persons. There was an independent 

 institute with an attendance of 150 persons. A very satisfactory 

 normal institute, attended by about 500 persons was held at Caldwell. 

 In connection with this normal institute was a woman's department 

 which was well attended and developed a great deal of interest. 

 The pronounced success of this meeting has led to arrangements for 

 holding another in a different section of the State. Invitations have 

 come to the director from a number of points requesting that the 

 normal institute be held in their locality and offering to provide a 

 meeting hall and pay all of the other necessary expenses. 



There were three lecturers upon the State force and 26 local 

 speakers assisted in giving instruction. The agricultural college and 

 experiment station together sent out 9 men at different times to 

 deliver lectures who together contributed about forty days of service. 



The appropriation for institute purposes amounting to $1,000 per 

 year is made to the board of regents of the University of Idaho, who 

 turn over this appropriation to the director of the agricultural 

 experiment station, who is also director of farmers' institutes, to be 

 used by him for institute purposes. 



