22 BULLETIN 83, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
is spent by the department officers in correspondence, organization, planning of work, 
lecturing before schools, institutes, and normals. The topics discussed from institute 
trains were live stock, soils, and general crops. 
Montana. — The new feature introduced during the year was the inauguration of a 
farmers' week and calling a country life convention at the agricultural college. There 
were also demonstrations held at the experiment station farms under the auspices of 
the institute division. 
Nebraska. — The new feature introduced by the Nebraska institutes was fruit-tree 
pruning demonstrations. The institute authorities are also urging the one-week 
short course and expect to hold a considerable number of these next year. Special 
fruit institutes were held, and assistants was also given at farmers' club meetings. 
New Hampshire. — A summer field meeting was held continuing through two ses- 
sions with an attendance estimated at 2,000. A new feature introduced was demon- 
strations at the institutes by the use of live stock on the platform. A new law was 
enacted by the legislature in 1913 by which a department of agriculture was created 
and the State divided into three agricultural districts. In addition to the commis- 
sioner of agriculture, the governor was authorized to appoint six practical agricultur- 
ists, two of whom shall reside in each of the districts, constituting an advisory board 
of the department of agriculture. They are allowed their actual and necessary 
expenses while performing official duty and the additional sum of $4 per day. They 
are required to meet at the office of the commissioner of agriculture as often as once 
in two months to advise with him as to the work of the department. The commis- 
sioner is required to hold one or more farmers' institute meetings in each county 
annually and at least one State meeting. He is required to cooperate so far as may be 
practicable with the extension work of the college of agriculture and mechanic arts, 
and is required to provide courses of study of one week or more to be pursued in con- 
nection with the county demonstration meetings in counties offering satisfactory 
agricultural cooperation. He is also required to cooperate with the State superin- 
tendent of public instruction in the preparation of elementary courses in agriculture 
for secondary schools, as well as courses for elementary work in the lower grades of 
the common schools. 
New Jersey. — In addition to the regular institutes held throughout the State, 
lecturers were provided for meetings for Jewish people, for Y. M. C. A. conventions, 
corn growing associations, country church clubs, county schools of agriculture, and 
agricultural clubs. 
New Mexico. — The work in New Mexico consisted almost entirely of running agri- 
cultural trains. During June, July, and August 17 of the county teachers' institutes 
were attended by the superintendent of agricultural extension and his assistant. 
Boys' and agricultural industrial club work was conducted, but chiefly through corre- 
spondence. The lack of an appropriation for institute work has limited the efforts 
of the director to the work designated. 
New York. — In one county in New York a series of lectures was given in lieu of 
the institutes. The farmers' institute bureau is cooperating with the county bureaus 
now organized in 17 counties of the State. The work of forming and supervising cow 
testing associations has been added to the duties of the farmers' institute. Twenty- 
five such associations are now in operation. Summaries of the addresses of institute 
lecturers were printed and distributed, thus permitting persons present at their 
delivery to take home for future reference the facts presented. The director of 
farmers' institutes holds conferences annually in all of the counties. At these con- 
ferences he meets representative farmers, at which time the institutes and other agri- 
cultural work for the year are arranged for. A local correspondent is selected for each 
institute, his duties being to arrange for securing a suitable hall and to assist in adver- 
tising the meeting. Special topics, lime and humus, were assigned to be discussed 
at all institutes, and in the dairy section the organization of cow testing associations. 
Approximately 450 farms were visited and spraying and other demonstrations given. 
