6 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



classes, and the amount of assistance that they can render is much less 

 than in former years. 



The county organizations have been of great help in making arrange- 

 ments for the meetings and, for the most part, the executive officers have 

 done very satisfactory work. In some instances, however, the secreta- 

 ries were deeply interested in politics and, on this account several of the 

 institutes held in October and November did not receive the attention 

 they needed and, hence, the attendance was somewhat reduced. In a 

 few counties the work of the secretaries was hindered bj' sickness and 

 other causes, but with few exceptions they did everything in their power 

 to advertise the meetings and make them a success. Few persons under- 

 stand or appreciate the amount of time that is required of a secretary 

 of a county institute society who gives proper attention to the duties of 

 his office. 



The mrembers of the Grange and Farmers' clubs throughout the State 

 have taken an active interest in the institute work and by their attend- 

 ance and participation in the exercises have done much to make them a 

 success. The county papers have, in many instances, given a consider- 

 able amount of space for a number of weeks previous to the institutes in 

 advertising them, and have thus aided in securing an attendance, and 

 have also printed quite full reports of the proceedings. 



There has been a considerable increase in the number of one-day insti- 

 tutes, especially in the northern counties, and in many cases the attend- 

 ance has fully equaled that at the county Round-up Institute. This year 

 the largest attendance at any one-day institute was at Ogden Center, 

 Lenawee county, where there was a total of 1,375 for three sessions. The 

 State speaker at this institute was N. P. Hull, of Dimondale, who also 

 carried oflf the honors in 1901-2. The largest number, thirteen, of one- 

 day institutes was held in Allegan county, with Lenawee a close second, 

 with twelve institutes. 



During the first week in January and third week in February, the 

 weather was so stormy that it was practically impossible for any per- 

 son living at a distance to attend the institutes. As the meetings during 

 those weeks were held in counties that generally gave a large attend- 

 ance, the effect was quite serious upon the numbers reported. The at- 

 tendance at the one-day institutes during October and November was 

 also considerably affected by the fact that comparatively few farmers 

 had completed their work, and they were too busy getting ready for win- 

 ter to attend the institutes. 



Among the topics that attracted most attention during the winter was 

 that of "The Centralized School Question." Owing to the deep interest 

 taken in this subject by Prof. Delos Fall, superintendent of public in- 

 struction, and through the cooperation of his department, we were able 

 to provide speakers for discussing it in nearly every county of the lower 

 peninsula; the interest manifested at every point indicating that the 

 farmers are anxious for light upon the subject. Among the other topics 

 that received attention was that of "Good Roads," and in this we were 



