338 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



of several counties. Each district is visited by a corps of institute 

 lecturers, who hold meetings in each of the counties composing the 

 district. The local county organizations are required to provide 

 suitable halls and must furnish them with, light and heat and bear all 

 necessary advertising expenses. 



Last year 133 sessions of institutes were held, attended by 7,890 

 persons. Twelve independent institutes, with an estimated attend- 

 ance of 345, were also held during the year. In addition to the regu- 

 lar institute work, a dairy instructor was sent out to give instruction 

 and demonstrations in connection with the creameries of the State. 

 The most of the instruction in the regular institutes is given by mem- 

 bers of the faculty of the agricultural college or of the experiment 

 station. Eight of these lecturers were emp^ h1 this year for an 

 aggregate of one hundred and ten days. Forty-two local speakers 

 also assisted in the teaching. 



A report of the proceedings of the institute is published annually, 

 and 5,000 copies are distributed. A bulletin announcing the meet- 

 ings and giving a list of the speakers is prepared and sent out each 

 year to the various institute organizations and localities in which 

 institutes are proposed to be held. 



NEBRASKA. 



Institute directors. — E. A. Burnett, director agricultural experiment station, Lin- 

 coln; Val Keyser, assistant superintendent I'arniers' institute, Fairbury. 



The attendance at the institutes this year in Nebraska was greater 

 than ever before. Seventy-two thousand eight hundred and ninetj^- 

 four persons are reported as having been present. The number of 

 institutes increased from 150 in 1904-5 to 160 in 1905-6, and the 

 number of sessions from 480 in 1904-5 to 515 in 1905-6. At many 

 places this season where meetings were held in the largest halls the 

 town afforded scores of persons were turned away for lack of hall 

 capacity. At other places overflow meetings were held and the 

 exhibit rooms were thrown open. 



The system combines local and central organization. No insti- 

 tutes are held except upon request, and the community is always 

 expected to bear part of the expenses, generally amounting to the 

 hall rent, cost of local advertising, and the entertainment of the 

 speakers at hotels. The local organizations have a president, a sec- 

 retary and treasurer, and a local committee to look after the expenses 

 and the printing of the programme. The central office prints posters 

 and special notices of the meetings and sends them out to the local 

 secretaries and to the newspajiors. The various railroad companies 

 furnish free transiioi-lntioit to the speakers upon request to the cen- 

 tral ollice. 



