1050 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



increased $1000 annually for ten years, since which time it has remained 

 at $25,000. 



At present there is a strong agricultural and mechanical college in 

 every state in the Union and in sixteen states an additional institution 

 is maintained for colored students. In one state only, viz., Massachusetts, 

 is there a college teaching agriculture only. In a number of the states, 

 such as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, California and a few 

 others, the college of agriculture is affiliated with the state university. In 

 most of the states, the Federal appropriation is multiplied several times 

 by state appropriations. In a few states, support of the institutions is 

 provided for by a mill tax. Most of them, however, are dependent on 

 direct appropriations for buildings and maintenance. These are made 

 annually or biennially at the pleasure of the legislature. 



Agricultural Experiment Stations. — The first experiment station in 

 North America receiving state aid was established in 1875, at Meriden, 

 Conn. The success attending the first station attracted sufficient attention 

 throughout the country to warrant the establishment of similar stations 

 in other states. The second station was established at Chapel Hill, N. C, 

 in 1877 in connection with the state university. Two years later one was 

 established at Cornell, N. Y. New Jersey followed in 1880 by establishing 

 a station in connection with Rutgers College. 



The Hatch Act passed the United States Congress in 1887. This 

 provided $15,000 annually for each state to establish an agricultural experi- 

 ment station in connection with the land grant colleges, except in those 

 states where experiment stations had already been established as separate 

 institutions. 



In 1907, the Hatch appropriation was supplemented by the passage 

 of the Adams bill, which provided $15,000 annually to each state or terri- 

 tory, this sum to be used in agricultural research. 



The forces of the agricultural colleges and experiment stations 

 should be utilized as fully as possible by farmers, in order that their 

 sons and daughters may be educated to a better citizenship and higher 

 efficiency. 



Farmers' Institutes. — These grew out of meetings held at a com- 

 paratively early date under the auspices of local agricultural societies. 

 This form of education did not become regularly established until the 

 organization of the agricultural colleges in 1862. At this time they began 

 to receive state aid. These institutes are conducted under the direction 

 of the state board of agriculture or the state agricultural college. They 

 are usually held during the winter months and, as a rule, each institute 

 continues from two to four days. 



In 1885, Wisconsin appointed a Superintendent of Farmers' Institutes. 

 Other states soon followed the example of Wisconsin and now nearly every 

 state has a Director or Superintendent of Farmers' Institutes. In 1910, 

 there were 5651 regular institutes having an aggregate of over 16,000 



