No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xxl 



fairs. It appears, however, that the clause referred to does 

 not do justice to the girls and boys alike, nor does it fully meet 

 the requirements of the boys' activities alone. Your secretary 

 recommends, therefore, that chapter 260 of the Acts of 1912 

 be so amended as to give proper latitude to the awarding of 

 premiums to children and youths. 



Farmers' Institutes. 



The institute season of 1912 was marked more by a greater 

 eagerness on the part of those attending the sessions for new 

 methods in agriculture, than by mere numbers of either institute 

 sessions or persons in attendance. One hundred and thirty- 

 eight have been held with 154 sessions. All the societies held 

 3 or more meetings except the Housatonic Agricultural Society, 

 which was excused from holding more than 1 institute, and the 

 Nantucket Agricultural Society, which was excused from hold- 

 ing more than 1. These societies will be required, however, to 

 hold enough additional institutes in 1913 to bring the total for 

 the two years up to 6. Nine societies held 4 or more meetings, 

 and 27 institutes were held by organizations other than agri- 

 cultural societies. The aggregate attendance for the year was 

 18,172, or 118 per session, as against 126 last year, 110 in 1910, 

 137 in 1909, 111 in 1908, 118 in 1907, 127 in 1906, 125 in 1905, 

 and figures ranging from 94 in 1899 to 109 in 1904, for previous 

 years. 



The list of speakers was thoroughly gone over and strength- 

 ened where needed. A number of new lectures are offered by 

 speakers. On the recommendation by Mr. Henry M. Howard, 

 of the committee on institutes and public meetings, a subject 

 list of lectures was prepared and published in connection with 

 the regulations of the Board and the usual list of lectures and 

 subjects. This enables local farmers and institute managers 

 to more readily select lectures where subject of lecture has 

 precedence. 



Your secretary attended the annua'l meeting of the American 

 Association of Farmers' Institute Workers, at Atlanta, Ga., on 

 November 10 to 15, and read a discussion of the proposition: 



Would an agricultural journal giving information regularly 

 respecting Farmers' Institutes and other forms of extension 



