49 



we may cite New York, whose attendance in 1902-03 was 

 138,538, in 1903-04 64,347, and in 1904-05 84,739. A good 

 many other States show a falling-off in attendance in the last 

 three years under report. 



Mr. Hamilton further suggests that the Department of 

 Agriculture should prepare outlines of courses for the schools 

 referred to above ; and that it should prepare and publish sets 

 of illustrated lectures for the use of institute lecturers. 



Mr. Hamilton also proposes the establishment of normal 

 inter-state State colleges to provide agricultural teachers in 

 connection with the farmers' institutes. 



Having given some description of the objects of these 

 institutes and of their relations to the Federal Government, 

 it will not be out of place to describe somewhat fully their 

 organisation in one or two of the States in which they are 

 most active. 



In Pennsylvania, for instance, where the sum of £4,100 was 

 appropriated for their support for the financial year 1904-05, 

 the law on the subject directs that the Deputy Secretary of 

 Agriculture of the State, who is appointed by the Governor of 

 the State for a term of four years, shall be also Director of the 

 Farmers' Institutes. He is required to arrange for the holding 

 of them, and for this purpose to confer with local members of 

 the State Board of Agriculture in every county where such 

 institutes are held, and with representatives duly appointed by 

 the county agricultural, horticultural and other similar 

 organisations. The institutes are supported by biennial 

 appropriations of the State Legislature. The number of 

 institutes held in the year under report in Pennsylvania 

 was 196, of which 44 were one day, 150 two day, and 2 three day 

 meetings. 



The local organisation consists of a county chairman, usually 

 a member of the State Board of Agriculture, elected by the 

 County Agricultural Society, and one representative from each 

 of the other county organisations. All expenses of institute 

 work are paid for out of the State appropriations. There 

 were fifty-six lecturers upon the State force. 



Besides these publicly organised Institutes, a number of 

 independent ones were held by farmers' clubs, &c, with an 

 attendance of about 30,000. 



(2427) D 



