farmers' institutes in the united states. 345 



The State appropriates $2,500 annually for meeting the expenses of 

 the institutes. During the past year a farmers' conference and grange 

 picnic were held in addition to the regular institutes, with an attend- 

 ance of about 2,500 persons- 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



Institute director. — A. L. Martin, deputy secretary of agriculture and director of 

 farmers' institutes, Harrisburg. 



Institutes were held in Pennsjdvania last year in 225 different local- 

 ities. There were 987 sessions, and an attendance of 165,553 persons. 

 The amount appropriated for institute purposes was $20,500. The 

 average attendance per session was 167. Thirty-one independent 

 institutes were held in addition, with an attendance of 15,000 persons. 

 There was also a round-up institute continuing for eight sessions, with 

 an attendance of 1,000. A butter school continuing for a week was 

 held in one of the dairy districts, conducted by a dairy expert from 

 the dairy department of the agricultural college, under the auspices 

 of the State institute director. The results were highly satisfactory. 



For institute purposes the State is divided into six districts, and a 

 corps of institute teachers is assigned to each district, each corps con- 

 sisting of three lecturers selected and paid by the State director. The 

 institute season extended from the last of November to the first of 

 March, during which period all of the institute force was at work 

 giving instruction. The special topics discussed were soil building, 

 centralized schools, and animal husbandry. The agricultural experi- 

 ment station furnished two men who were out in the field engaged in 

 lecturing for sixty-two days. A woman's session was held in each 

 institute. In some instances this was presided over by a lady selected 

 by the community, and in others by the institute director. The places 

 at which institutes are to be held are suggested by the local county 

 committees, subject to the approval of the State director, who fixes 

 the dates at which the meetings are to take place and arranges the 

 itinerary in each district. 



The proceedings of the annual round-up meeting of the institute 

 workers are published in bulletin form and distributed through the 

 mails and at institute meetings. Some of the best of the papers and 

 addresses before the institutes are selected and published in the annual 

 report of the State department of agriculture, of which 32,500 copies 

 are printed annually. 



PORTO RICO. 



Institute director. — D. W. May, special agent in charge of the agricultural experi- 

 ment station, Mayaguez. 



One institute was held in Porto Rico last year, and was in connec- 

 tion with the Fruit Growers' Association at Bayamon. This associ- 

 ation is composed of planters from the States, most of whom are 



