THE farmers' institutes IX THE UNITED STATES. 329 



Territories which gave the number as 404 in 1909 and 424 in 1908. 

 This is not as great a reduction as one would expect when increased 

 demand on the time and energy of these people from their own insti- 

 tutions is considered. The total number of days of institutes at- 

 tended by these college and station staffs in 1909 was 8.041, while 

 in 1908 it was 3,586. according to the same reports. This likewise in- 

 dicates a further reduction in the help derived from the agricultural 

 college and experiment station staffs as regards lectures by these 

 people before farmers' institutes, and this reduction is still further 

 emphasized when the increase of one hundred and sixty-nine days of 

 institutes held in 1909 over those held in 1908 is considered. It indi- 

 cates clearly that the demand upon the staffs of the agricultural col- 

 leges and experiment stations for increased duties within these insti- 

 tutions themselves is preventing them from devoting as much time to 

 farmers' institute work as its increased demand warrants, but it is 

 hoped that with the establishment of departments of extension work 

 within the agricultural colleges this condition may be remedied to a 

 certain extent. It is evident, however, that the managers of farmers' 

 institutes must in the future look to other sources than the staffs of 

 the agricultural colleges and experiment stations for the increase in 

 their lecture force. Each year adds to the necessity for a more per- 

 manent and independent lecture force — a corps of educated, scientific, 

 experienced, and practical farmers, scientists, and other competent 

 speakers and demonstrators whose entire time shall be devoted to 

 institute work as lecturers, demonstrators, itinerant instructors, 

 inspectors, district managers, or to other duties which legitimately 

 come within the scope of farmers' institute work. This plan would 

 not only relieve the colleges, but it would also render the institutes 

 more independent and idtimately give them entire control of the 

 services of a competent body of farmers' institute workers. 



SPECIAL INSTITUTES. 



A considerable amount of instruction in various agricultural sub- 

 jects is given to rural people through meetings conducted primarily 

 by the farmers' institute organization and yet not classified as regu- 

 lar farmers' institutes. Such miscellaneous meetings are in many 

 instances doing as much for the improvement of agricultural condi- 

 tions and rural life as are the regular farmers' institutes, and they 

 form a prominent feature of the institute work in some States. 



An idea of the extent and scope of this work may be obtained by 

 the following summary of the reports for the year 1909: 



Four States held special-subject institutes; two of them did not 

 give the number, but the other two report a coml)ined number of 

 36 such meetings. The total attendance in the four States upon these 



