FAKMERS' INSTITUTES IN THE UNITED STATES. 343 



to 3 mills on each inhabitant of a county be paid to the president of 

 the State board of agriculture and a like sum to the president of the 

 farmers' institute society in the county where but one such society 

 exists, and where two or more exist the amount was to be equally 

 apportioned between them. 



The new law fixes the amount to go to the president of the agricul- 

 tural society at $125 from each county, and $31.25 to the president 

 of each institute society in a county holding meetings under the 

 auspices of the State board. There is a provision that the entire sum 

 shall not exceed $250 for any one county. 



Last year 1,225 sessions of institutes were held, with an attendance 

 of 81,816, the largest number of sessions held by any State. The 

 appropriation for institutes was $17,629.89, and the average cost per 

 session was $14.33. Thirty-nine independent institutes were held 

 with an estimated attendance of 13,197. A State institute or round- 

 up meeting, continuing for four sessions, was held, with an attendance 

 of about 500 at each session. A report of the institutes was published, 

 the edition comprising 15,000 copies. The reports were distributed 

 chiefly in the local institute societies. 



OKLAHOMA. 



Institute director. — C. A. McNabb, secretary of the board of agriculture, Guthrie. 



Institutes were held in all but three counties in Oklahoma last year. 

 While there was no direct appropriation by the Territorial legislature 

 for institute expenses, the department of agriculture expended from 

 its appropriation about $500 out of its contingent fund partly for 

 meeting some minor expenses, and the balance was for- the salary of 

 the superintendent. The agricultural experiment station also 

 expended about $160 for defraying the expenses of its members in 

 lecturing at the institutes. 



The institute work as conducted this season was along much the 

 same lines as in the previous year, except that the lecturers have been 

 giving more attention to the practical side of farming operations par- 

 ticularly as respects seed selection and crop diversification. The stere- 

 opticon is being used in illustrating the lectures, also for showing the 

 improvement possible in farm homes and in rural school buildings 

 and surroundings. • 



In order to secure increased interest in the improvement of their 

 agriculture the plan has been adopted of holding special sessions of 

 institutes about every two weeks. The programmes for these meet- 

 ings are arranged by a special committee. Each meeting discusses 

 some one subject rather than several, and bulletins and circulars 

 upon that topic are distributed among the members. 



One hundred and forty-nine sessions of institutes were held this 

 year, with an attendance of 7,460. Two independent institutes were 



