farmers' institute WORK IjST 1914. 9 



The work of the train has been so satisfactory that it has been decided to 

 make it a permanent institution for the following purposes : 



Holding public conferences on agriculture in rural centers; answering In- 

 quiries, verbal or written, on subjects of interest to farmers; distributing 

 agricultural literature ; making demonstrations of agricultural machinery ; visit- 

 ing agricultural expositions ; cooperating in the improvement of animal in- 

 dustry ; cooperating in the diffusion and knowledge of laws relating to hygiene 

 and labor for farmers, as well as diseases of plants and animals; furthering 

 the establishment of societies and cooperative associations for agricultural im- 

 provement; and inspection of public and private agricultural estates. 



Austria. — A regular agricultural school education is available only for a 

 limited number of prospective farmers in Austria, therefore, other methods of 

 disseminating agricultural instruction are necessary, such as traveling lecture- 

 ships and special courses. Lectures are given by the teachers in the regular 

 agricultural schools and by traveling lecturers appointed especially for this pur- 

 pose. They keep in close touch with the rural population and are expected to 

 give personal attention and advice to individual farmers in their territory. They 

 also hold courses which last for several days in order to instruct farmers m 

 certain branches of agriculture, such as dairying, live stock, poultry keeping, 

 fruit growiug, etc. Teachers in the agricultural schools also hold such course •» 

 during vacation either at the school or elsewhere. Lectures in cooking and 

 domestic economy are also given for the women and girls. 



In Upper Austria three itinerant teachers in cooking and housekeeping are 

 employed, and they have conducted 47 movable schools in housekeeping for 564 

 girls. The length of the course is six weeks. The number in a course is limited 

 to 12 girls, who must be over 14 years of age. 



The courses are under the direction of the Royal Agricultural Society, in 

 cooperation with a local society or board, which must furnish the meeting place 

 and guarantee an enrollment of V2 girls and their tuition fee. 



In these courses are taught buying of food materials; the preparing of foods; 

 the preserving of provisions; setting and waiting on the table; washing dishes 

 and linen and house cleaning; making recipes; and estimating the cost of food. 

 • management of the Louse and the care of clothing are also taught. Instruc- 

 tion i-; likewise given in the care of the health, feeding children, care of the sick, 

 ; ending, patching, and darning. There is also instruction in feeding domestic 

 the care of the dairy, the raising of poultry, and in the culture of fruit, 

 i, and flowers. 



• i .::■': chosen to supervise each cooking course and hold themselves 



ist the teacher, keeping her informed as to the proper markets 



for provii ions, a::.! discussing with her the arrangement of the daily work, the 



: « t the house and of the kitchen, and to give necessary help to the 



. 

 8IA. — In : L2 re were in Prussia 1 250 rural traveling housekeeping 

 order, divided among 243 districts (Landkreise). 

 I i t 817 courses were held, as against net in iii>. previous year. The 

 ■!• i I the efj at weeks' courses has risen from 407 t<> 638, the number Longer 



than (■]■ ■: from r «7 to L03, While Hie course's of less than right weeks' 



lion bare (alien from 90 to 76, ,; ie 817 courses were attended by K'.,">si 

 glrli who bad lefl school, an average of 21.8 per course. 



Of the -•"•'» schools L68 were supported by the District Communal Association, 

 the : upervislon of women's unions, 85 were entirely mah- 



ii ild. Scbulw. Ii < iissen, 5 (1013), No. 2, pp. 47 61. 



T. - — 2 



