THE farmers' institutes IN THE UNITED STATES. 347 



institiit&s were also held covering 12 sessions and with 10,125 as 

 the attendance, and one normal institute lasting three days with 500 

 in attendance. One railroad special ran eleven days with 65 stops 

 and had 7,485 visitors. Included in the regular institutes above 

 given were 40 women's institutes which often showed a better interest 

 and attendance than the general sessions. The superintendent con- 

 sults with the officers of the local associations regarding the pro- 

 grammes, dates, and locations of the meetings. The State appro- 

 priated $8,500 for this work, but the actual cost the past year was 

 $323.02 additional, which was provided for from a balance left over 

 from the year previous. The above includes the salary and expenses 

 of the state superintendent. The college of agriculture and the ex- 

 periment station cooperated in the work by giving the services of 18 

 lecturers, and it is estimated that 1,200 local speakers addressed the 



meetings. 



MINNESOTA. 



Institute director. — A. D. Wilson, assistant in agriculture and director of 

 farmers' institutes, college of agriculture. St. Paul. 



The State appropriated $18,000 for institute work during the past 

 year which was all expended, and in addition about $5,000 more was 

 expended which was derived from advertisements in the annual and 

 from a surplus left over from the j'^ear previous. This sum includes 

 the salary and expenses of the state director. Twenty-seven state lec- 

 turers were employed and the college of agriculture contributed 9 

 lecturers. 



There were held during the year 684 sessions of regular institutes 

 with a total attendance of 109,625. A new feature was the holding 

 of 81 one-session institutes in district schoolhouses which were very 

 satisfactory and at which the attendance was 3,970. AVomen's insti- 

 tutes were held in five towns, one lady and part of the time two 

 ladies holding one afternoon session each week for four weeks, 

 with good appreciation and attendance. The attendance at a twelve 

 weeks' course of agricultural lectures by members of the college of 

 agriculture at a high school on Monday afternoons was 1,987, and at 

 an eight weeks' course at another high school it was 1,525. 



During the past year the institute management has assisted in the 

 organization of 70 farmers' clubs, mostly representing school dis- 

 tricts, but in some cases townships. They hold frequent meetings 

 and study and discuss the various problems of importance in that 

 region, such as seed and corn testing, selecting and breeding, co- 

 operative buying and selling, good roads and the like, and they are 

 proving to be of great value to the members. Twelve of the 16 

 clubs organized in one county a year ago hehl that year 94 meetings 

 with a total attendance of 4,420, using home talent almost exclusively. 



