EDUCATION AND INFORMATION 1051 



sessions and a total attendance of nearly 3,000,000 persons. For the same 

 year the appropriations for institutes aggregated $432,000. 



The weakest point in the institute lies in the failure to put the plat- 

 form teaching into practice. Another defect has been the absence of an 

 attempt to do for the woman in the farm home what it has so long tried 

 to do for the man in the field. There is as great need for work of this 

 kind for the woman as for the man in the country, and the institute that 

 serves both sexes more than doubles its efficiency. Happily, these two 

 defects are now being corrected in a number of the states. If the institute 

 is to continue to be a living force among farmers, it must meet the needs 

 of all rural communities as fully as possible. It is well to forget these 

 defects and improve the institute work in every possible way. 



The teachings of the institute force should be interesting and apply to 

 the problems of the farm, farm home and rural community. It may serve 

 a good purpose by carrying to the farmer the findings of the state experi- 

 ment station. For this reason there are advantages in placing this work 

 under the direction of the agricultural college and experiment station. 

 It is a form of extension work that fits well with the research and teaching 

 of the college and experiment station. 



Agricultural Fairs. — This form of agricultural education and enter- 

 tainment had its inception in this country in the fairs held on market days 

 in Washington, D. C, as early as 1804. A similar fair was started at 

 Pittsfield, Mass., in 1807. 



An investigation in 1909 showed over 1200 county agricultural fair 

 associations in the United States at that time. The membership was 

 approximately 250,000. The annual gross receipts was $6,500,000, and 

 expenditures for premiums $2,500,000. 



In addition to the county fairs, most of the states maintain a state 

 fair. These are usually on a larger scale, having extensive grounds and 

 numerous and commodious buildings for the housing of livestock and 

 exhibits. 



Fairs serve as effective educational, stimulating and advertising 

 agencies for both the farmer and merchant. They also afford social and 

 amusement features. Often the last-mentioned feature is allowed to 

 become too prominent and sometimes lowers the tone and reflects dis- 

 credit on the fair. 



Agricultural Societies. — The first agricultural societies were formed 

 between 1785 and 1794, as follows: 1785, Society for Promotion of Agricul- 

 ture, Charleston, S. C; same year, Philadelphia Society for Promotion of 

 Agriculture; 1791, New York Society for Promotion of Agriculture, Arts 

 and Manufactures; 1792, Massachusetts Society for Agricultural Promo- 

 tion; 1794, Society for the Promotion of Agriculture in Connecticut. 

 These early agricultural societies were soon followed by the formation 

 of many others in different sections of the country. In the majority 

 of cases, city men took the initiative in the formation of societies for 



