National and Educational Interests. 



sense a philanthropic and patriotic movement. It has met, 

 perhaps, with the most marked success in Wisconsin, and it 

 is not surprising that the superintendent of the institutes in that 

 state, W. H. Morrison, should write thus enthusiastically of 

 the results : 



"I wish that you had the history of this movement in Wisconsin — how the 

 institutes -have stimulated a pride and respect for agriculture, bringing far- 

 mers together to compare and pool experience ! They give the farmer an op- 

 portunity to meet masters in agriculture, men who make the business of 

 farming a science and a life-work. They build up and unite farm interests, en- 

 ergize and fertilize local thought, make men and women better satisfied with 

 the farm, and will have the tendency to keep a fair portion of the best boys 

 on the farm. They are revolutionizing agriculture in this state, and their 

 power was felt and heeded by our legislature last winter. Fortunately, our wis- 68 

 farm institute work is under the auspices of our State University. My office consin. 

 is in the same building with Professor Henry, Director of the Experiment 

 Station, and whatever may come from his experiments that will aid the 

 farmers of the state is taken by our farm institutes and scattered all over the 

 state. The fact is, they are doing more for the state than the originators of 

 the law ever thought or expected. He builded better than he knew. They 

 are educating our farmers to better methods, and increasing the rewards of 

 the farm. Seventy to seventy-five institutes are held each winter, attended 

 by an average of over 500 farmers, making them a great feeder to all the courses 

 in the University. And, lastly, they are advertising the resources of Wiscon- 

 sin, as we issue annually 31,000 copies of a farm institute bulletin. " 



Nearly $85,000 is being spent this year in North America 

 for farmers' institutes. The following statistics of institutes I 

 have gathered directly from secretaries of state and secretaries 

 of boards of agriculture, and they may be regarded as cor- 

 rect for the current year: 



Alabama. — Annual appropriation, $3,000. 



Arkansas. — No appropriation has been made, nor has the general assem- 

 bly ever made any law for the purpose of fostering farmers' institutes. 

 Arizona. — No appropriation has been made. 



California. — No farmers' institutes. The appropriations in the interest 

 of agriculture are made through the state and district agricultural associa- 

 tions. Statistics 



Canada. — Ontario. — The number of farmers' institutes organized in On- f insti- 

 tario, as reported in 1890, was 78. These each receive a grant from the tutes. 

 Ontario government of $25, and a similar grant from the county council of 

 the municipality in which the institute is organized. Besides this, the On- 

 tario government is giving $2,000 this year to defray the expenses of the pro- 

 fessors at Guelph, who devote the greater part of January in each year to 

 attendance at these meetings. The Guelph officers divide up into three or 

 four groups, and take with each group a representative of the Fruit-Growers' 

 Association and one or two representative farmers ; and they are out contin- 

 uously for three or four weeks, going from place to place holding meetings 



