332 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



striK-ttul ami rciuippi'd car owned privati'ly by the in.-litute. Tliis is 

 the first instance where a car has been j)hinned, built, and owned l)y 

 an institute for the sole purpose of f;ivin<j: itinerant instruction and 

 demonstrations. It is in reality a small but completely equipped 

 school capable of being taken to the people, and in w hich the instruc- 

 tors live, eat, and sleep, but from which they may go within driving 

 distances for the purpose of holding meetings or giving lectures 

 whenever advisable. Many cars and even trains have been used 

 temporarily in various States for institute work, but they have been 

 owned and controlled by the railroads and were not especially con- 

 structed for this purpose, ordinary coaches being temporarily fitted 

 up w ith the necessar}- illustrative and demonstrative material. 



Michigan held 40 w^omen's institutes last year, and the superin- 

 tendent reports : " The attendance and interest often were better than 

 at the general session." They are also making a special effort to 

 arouse the interest of the young people. 



In Minnesota the boys' and girls' industrial contests, which have 

 just finished their second year's work, were so successful that the 

 superintendent of institutes for the State reports: "We have done 

 no work that we feel will result in more good to the agriculture of 

 this State than will this work done with the boys and girls." Excel- 

 lent results are also reported from the organization of district or 

 township clubs, most of which become active and productive of much 

 good to the members. 



The Mississippi farmers' institute gets in touch with the county 

 high schools as fast as they are established, and through cooperation 

 conducts short courses in agriculture. 



IMPROVED METHODS. 



In Arkansas the farmers' institute work has been placed entirely 

 in the hands of the agricultural college, which has established a de- 

 partment of farmers' institutes with a superintendent in charge. 



California has developed the special or single-purpose institute 

 idea, an entire meeting being devoted to the discussion of a single 

 topic in all its phases and from all points of view, thus approaching 

 the plan of some of the movable schools which are devoted to a single 

 subject, such as dairying, poultry raising, and the like, but being from 

 necessity more intensive since the duration of the institute is not as 

 long as that of the movable school. In reporting upon this work the 

 superintendent says : " We find that the attendance and interest at 

 these meetings is as great or greater than when the institutes are 

 very general in their character." These special-purpose institutes 

 should prove of great value in those States where the regular general 

 institutes have been in progress for some time, and where many of 



