NOTES. 199 



American Association of Farmers' Institute Workers. — This association held 

 its sixteenth annual meeting at Columbus, Ohio, November 13 and 14, 1911. 

 Delegates were in attendance from forty States, three of the Provinces of 

 Canada, and the District of Columbia, representing an attendance upon institute 

 instruction during the year of about 4,000,000 people, an expenditure of about a 

 half million dollars annually, and a teaching force numbering 1,100 lecturers 

 and a much lai-ger number of local speakers. 



The standing committee reports were upon institute organization and methods, 

 institute lecturers, cooperation with other educational agencies, movable 

 schools of agriculture, boys' and girls' institutes, and women's institutes. These 

 reports advocated an efficient permanent local institute organization in each 

 county, lecturers equipped with practical experience as well as scientific knowl- 

 edge. Institutes for young people, particularly those between the ages of 14 

 and IS, and institutes for women, established upon equality with those or- 

 ganized for men, both as to financial support and lecture service. Inasmuch 

 as the institute is the field agent for the spread of information that other 

 organizations wish to have the public understand and put into practice, the 

 institute is considered under obligation to cooperate with all other agricultural 

 institutions and societies that it may serve them most efficiently. The movable 

 school of agriculture is deemed no longer an experiment, but a method of 

 instruction to be generally adopted and extended. 



The discussions at the general session related to plans for "following up " 

 institute instruction, the use of a single topic for presentation before all in- 

 stitute assemblies in the United States and Canada during the coming year, the 

 number of lecturers that should be supplied by the state to each institute, the 

 proportion of state appropriations that should be used for local expenses, and the 

 practicability of holding institute meetings monthly during the year. 



Under the head of methods of work one session was devoted to a discussion 

 of effective methods for conducting institute trains, the organization for field 

 demonstration work, and the establishing of winter schools of agriculture and 

 domestic science for adults. Another session was devoted to topics relating to 

 the work and duties of the state directors. Under this head there were three 

 papers, one discussing the organization of a central department of institute 

 control in each State, the next the duties of the state director and his relation 

 to the local manager, and the third the leading purpose of the annual round-up 

 institute. 



The evening session of the last day was devoted to the consideration of the 

 condition of the negro farmers of the South, as arranged by the association at 

 its 1910 meeting. Eight papers were presented treating different phases of this 

 question. The general view expressed was that the condition of the negro 

 farmer, while far below what is desired or what he is capable of accomplishing, 

 was gradually improving. Census data as well as specific instances were given 

 to sustain this view. 



The reports from the States and Provinces showed a widespread increase in 

 attendance and interest during the year, also that the demand for additional 

 institute service has been so insistent and general that the directors are greatly 

 embarrassed in endeavoring to meet the numerous requests. Larger appro- 

 priations by the States and Provinces and a considerable increase in the num- 

 ber of well equipped and experienced lecturers were considered indispensable 

 to cope with the conditions. 



The officers elected for the coming year were Franklin Dye, of New Jersey, 

 president; F. H. Rankin, of Illinois, vice president; John Hamilton, of this 

 Office, secretary-treasurer; and J. H. Miller, of Kansas, W.J. Black of Manitoba, 



