Report of Secretary. 27 



domestic science department here, this scholarship to go to the 

 winner in a tomato-growing contest. It will be greatly appreciated 

 by members of the Home Makers' Conference if this appropriation 

 can be continued so long as the ladies appropriate a like amount. 



Country Life Conference. — Suggestion was made in my last 

 report that a country life conference be held here during our Farm- 

 ers' Week, and as the suggestion met with your approval, we have 

 arranged for such a meeting, A special program has been printed 

 for these meetings and we have secured speakers of renown in their 

 special lines. We hope to effect a State organization to be known 

 as the Missouri Rural Life Conference Association to hold its meet- 

 ings each year on Farmers' Week, 



Farmers' Institutes. — The farmers' institute meetings have 

 been held this year under the new order adopted by the Board at 

 your last meeting. As was to be expected the new method has 

 brought some disappointments and failure to meet the require- 

 ments. Yet it is gratifying to note the people generally are willing 

 to adapt themselves to the new arrangement and little or no friction 

 is anticipated next year. During 1912 we held 246 meetings with 

 463 sessions, occupying 308 days and occurring in 76 counties. This 

 does not include the special train service on the various railroads. 



There is great need of a special organizer who can assist in the 

 institute meetings and at the same time direct the attention of 

 farmers to the importance of organization. We want a man who 

 can impress his hearers and convince them of the necessity for 

 organization and who can effect such organization before leaving 

 the community. Such a man at this time would be a valuable asset 

 of the Board. 



Last October I was authorized by the members of this Board 

 to secure the services of Miss Nelle Nesbitt at a stated salary to 

 carry on the institute work for women, and to prepare circulars 

 and bulletins relating to the woman's work. Miss Nesbitt has been 

 with the Board only a few weeks, but her work has already begun 

 to show good results and I believe the Board and the people will be 

 well pleased at the end of the year. 



Publications. — During the year 1912, we have printed 12,500 

 copies of the forty-fourth annual report, a book of about 500 pages, 

 and have been unable to supply half the demand. Many county 

 school superintendents ask for 100 or more copies as they wish 

 to place one copy in each school, but we have never been able to 

 send more than forty copies to any one for distribution because of 



