4/0- 0.3: "Q Bulletin No. 79. i s. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS, A. C. TRUE, Dire FARMERS' INSTITUTES: HISTORY AND STATUS IN THE UNITED STATE ANADA. r omasa he. BY U.S. DEPOSITORY ^ IVH BAILEY. M. S PROFESSOR OF HORTICULTURE, CORNELL UNIVERSITY. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1900. Bulletin No. 79. U. S. DEPARTMEN1 I >F AGRICULTURE, OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS, A. C TRUE, Dir. FARMERS' INSTITUTES: HISTORY AND STATUS IX THE UNITED STATES AND CANAD. BY L. H. BAILEY, M. S., PROFESSOR OF HORTICULTrRE, CORNELL UNIVERSITY. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1900. LETTER OE TRANSMITTAL U. S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Experiment Stations. Washington, B. C, February 16, 1900. Sir: L have the honor to transmit herewith an article on farmers' institutes in the United States and Canada, prepared by Prof. L. H. Bailey, of Cornell University. There is an increasing demand for information regarding the various means which have been adopted for extending our system of agricultural education to the actual tillers of the soil. This article gives brief historical and statistical informa- tion regarding farmers' institutes, which constitute one of the most successful of these means. I therefore recommend its publication as Bulletin 79 of this Office. Respectfully, A. C. True, Director. Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. CONTENTS, Page. Genera] and historical survey 5 Statistics of the States and Provinces 8 Alabama 8 Arizona 9 Arkansas 9 British Columbia 9 California 9 Colorado 10 ( onuecticut 10 Delaware 11 1 lorida 11 Georgia 12 Idaho 12 Illinois 12 Indiana 13 Iowa 13 Kansas 14 Kentucky 14 Louisiana 14 Maine l.~> Manitoba 15 Maryland 15 Massachusetts 16 Michigan 17 Minnesota 17 Mississippi 17 Missouri 18 Montana 18 Nebraska 18 Nevada 19 New Brunswick 19 New Hampshire 20 New Jersey 20 New Mexico 20 New York 21 North Carolina 21 North Dakota 21 Nova Scotia 22 Ohio 22 l Ontario 23 Oregon 25 Pennsylvania 25 (Quebec Rhode Island 3 4 Statistics of the States and Proi uacei — Continued. Page. South Carolina 27 South Dakota 27 Tennessee 28 Texas 28 Utah 28 Vermont 29 Virginia 29 Washington 30 West Virginia 30 Wisconsin 30 • Wyoming 30 Summary 31 ( officials in charge of farmers' institutes in the United States 33 FARMERS' INSTITUTES: HISTORY AND STATUS IN UNITED STATES AND CANADA." GENERAL AND HISTORICAL SURVEY. The history of the origin of the tanners' institute is obscure, but it is certain that the movement began earlier than we have been led to sup- pose. The movement is an outgrowth of farmers' societies of various kinds, many of which are of long standing. It began to assume definite and separate shape early in the seventies, when several States under- took to hold farmers' meetings on essentially the same plan as at present. As early as 1869 and 1870 such meetings were held in Iowa by Welch, Roberts. Bessey, Jones, Matthews, and Mrs. Tapper, the expenses being met by the community in which the institute was held. In 1S71 an account of '• farmers* institutes" was published in the report of the board of trustees of the Iowa Agricultural College, 2 in which it is said that u the experiment of holding farmers' institutes in different localities in the State, for the purpose of giving familiar lectures on prominent topics in agriculture, was tried last winter with very grati- fying success. Institutes, lasting three days, were held at Cedar Falls, Council Bluffs, Washington, and Muscatine, at each of which points we found an enthusiastic gathering of farmers." Vermont, Michigan, ; and some other States inaugurated institutes about this time. The origin of the itinerant lecture system for the instruction of farmers is to be sought long before this time, however. As early as 184:2 or 1843 such lectures were inaugurated by the Xew York State Agricultural Society, aud these were so successful that the society adopted the following resolution at a meeting held in Albauy, January 20. 1848: Resolved, That the plan which was adopted by the former secretaries of the New York state Agricultural Society | Daniel Lee, Joel B. Xott, and Benjamin P. John- son), in addressing, at suitable times, county agricultural societies, meets the decided approbation of the committee, and they trust it will be continued hereafter: and they recommend the adoption of the resolution. Massachusetts early took steps to inaugurate a series of farmers' institutes through the endeavors of the State board of agriculture. ■For a previous article on this subject see Experiment Station Record. 7. p. 635. 1 ( ountry Gentleman, 1887. p. 873. 3 For a history of Michigan institutes Bee Ept. Mich. Bd. Agr. 1875, p. 72. 6 The first reference to such meetings is to be found in the records of the secretary of the State board of agriculture under date of January 21, L859, when it was voted by the board "to appoint a committee to con- sider and report upon the propriety of instituting meetings similar to teachers' institutes." This committee reported February 3, 1859, in favor of holding such meetings, and recommended that they be com- menced as soon as possible. Febrnary 1, 1871, the board voted "that the various agricultural societies of the Common wealth be requested to organize an annual meeting for lectures and discussions at such time and place as may be convenient for each society; these meetings to be denominated k The Farmers' Institutes of Massachusetts.' 7 ' Feb- ruary 7, 1878, it was voted: "That the agricultural societies receiving the bounty of the Commonwealth be requested to arrange and hold one or more farmers' institutes each year within their limits: and that they be informed that the board will render all the assistance in its power to make such institutes instructive and useful to the public/' February 6, 1879, this vote was amended by substituting the word "required" for "requested," and changing the number to be held each year from "one" to "three. n February 5, 1880, it was voted: "That in the opinion of this board it is expedient that the secretary attend as many farmers' institutes as the other duties of his office will allow." February 3, 1887, it was voted: "That the rule requiring societies receiving the bounty of the State to hold at least three institutes dur- in the year be restated and enforced." February 7, 1889, the board adopted the following rule: " Each agricultural society receiving the bounty of the Commonwealth is hereby required to arrange and hold not less than three farmers' institutes each calendar year within its limits, and the board will render all the assistance in its power to make such institutes interesting and profitable. The secretary is expected to attend as many of these institutes as is compatible with the other duties of his office, and he will provide lecturers for the institutes as far as the appropriation for this object will warrant. And the several agricultural societies are earnestly requested at their annual meetings to fix the dates at which they will hold the several institutes required, and the subjects they desire to have discussed, and at once notify the secretary of the board if they desire assistance in the procuring of lecturers. Societies may arrange and hold more than three institutes if they so desire, and the secretary of each society is required to certify to the holding of each institute, upon blanks provided by this office." During the calendar year 1890, 36 societies held 129 institutes. No regular amount has been, or is now, appropriated by the State to pay the expenses of these institutes. The State grants an annual bounty of $000 to each incorporated agricultural society complying with the law and with the regulations of the board of agriculture. Since 1863 the board of agriculture has held an annual three days' country (pref- erably public winter) meeting in some section of the Commonwealth for lectures and discussion, the proceedings of which have appeared annually in the Agriculture of Massachusetts. March :.'<>, ls<;<>. the legislature approved an act which, among other things, authorized the expenditure tor other clerical services over and above one clerk with tixed salary) in his office, and for lectures before the hoard of agri- culture, at its annual and other meetings, a sum not exceeding $100. In 1887 this amount was increased to $800 per annum. This amount has been used each year to pay lecturers, stenographers' services, etc., at this meeting. The legal authority for the holding of institutes in Michigan, m con- nection with the Agricultural College, is held to be derived from the following clause in the organic law of 1861 : '-The State board of agri- culture may institute winter courses of lectures for others than stu- dents of the institution, under necessary rules and regulations." This Michigan law possesses unusual interest, for it is probably the first legal authority conferred upon an educational institution in this country to carry instruction to farmers who are not students in the college. And this recalls the fact that the farmers' institute movement is essentially unh ersity extension, inasmuch as the greater number of the institutes are held under the auspices of the agricultural colleges. The vital connection which exists between these colleges and the institutes may be learned from a study of the statistics presented on the following pages: and it may also be said that even in those States in which this official and legal connection does not exist the teachers in the colleges are expected to identity themselves with the institute work. It is true that the institute movement lacks much of the definiteness of specific university extension, but the ultimate aims of the two are the same, and writers upon university extension are recognizing this fact. The institutes are now undergoing a transformation. Farmers are constantly asking for more specific instruction, and courses of technical lectures upon a series of intimately related topics are in demand. This demand has given rise to itinerant " dairy schools," "schools of horti- culture. " and similar organizations in various States. The institute bureaus in some cases publish a roster of speakers, with announce- ment of their subjects, and from these lists the different localities select their lecturers. The demand for definite and consecutive instruc- tion in agriculture has brought forward a number of schemes looking to the intensification and extension of the institute system. The farmers' institute has exerted a most powerful influence upon the agriculture of the country. It is in the highest sense a philan- thropic and patriotic movement. In Wisconsin, for example, it has met with marked success, and it is not surprising that a former super- intendent 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 farmers together to 8 compare and pool experience. They give the fanner an opportunity to meet masters in agriculture, men who make the business of farming a science and a life work. The\ build up and unite farm interests, energize 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 farm institute work is under the auspices of our State University. My ottice 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. They builded better than they knew. The institutes are educating our farmers to better methods, and increasing the rewards of the farm. Seventy to 75 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 Wisconsin, as we issue annually 31,000 copies of a farm institute bulletin. Nearly $85,000 were spent in 1891 in North America for farmers' institutes. In the following review facts relating to farmers' institutes collected in 1891 ] are summarized in connection with data gathered from official sources in 1899. This furnishes a basis for interesting comparisons between the movements in 1891 and 1899, and indicates the progress which has been made. The information for 1899 attempts to answer the following questions: (1) Under what auspices are the institutes held? (2) How many institutes are held each year, and what is the attend- ance? (3) How are the institutes distributed or located 1 ? (4) How much money is available for farmers' institutes? (5) Is there a State department of agriculture ? These statistics must impress one with the extent of the efforts which are being made in all parts of North America to awaken and to educate the farmer. STATISTICS OF THE STATES AND PROVINCES. ALABAMA. 1891. Annual appropriation, $3,000. 1899. In Alabama, farmers' institutes are held under the auspices both of the State commissioner of agriculture and under the Polytech- nic Institute at Auburn. They are distributed where applications are made. The Polytechnic Institute (Agricultural and Mechanical Col- lege) held 20 institutes in 1898-99, at a cost of $500. Fifteen institutes were held during 1899 at which the total attendance was about 1,200 to 1,400. 1 Published in Annals of Horticulture, 1891. ARIZONA. 1891. No provisions made for institutes. 1S!)9. The farmers' institutes held in Arizona are under the auspice^ of the Arizona Agricultural Association. From one to tour have been held eaeli year for the past three years, the institute movement having existed in Arizona only for that length of time. The experiment station assisted at seven institutes during the latter half- of 1899, the total attendance at which was estimated to be about 700. Hie institutes have been held thus far in Salt Kiver Valley only, which is the chief agricultural region of the Territory. No set sum has been segregated for institute purposes, but the expenses thereof have been borne by the agricultural college and experiment station. There is no State depart- ment of agriculture in Arizona. ARKANSAS. 1891. Farmers' institutes had not been organized in this State in 1891. 1899. There has been little direct institute work in Arkansas. Very recently the experiment station has been provided with a pomologist who is to have charge of the work. It is the intention to hold at least one institute in each county the coming season. There are many appli- cations from farmers particularly from the cotton-growing sections. There is a department of mines, manufactures, and agriculture, with headquarters at Little liock. BRITISH COLUMBIA. 1899. The farmers' institutes of this Province are under the auspices of the government, and controlled by a superintendent. The Province is divided into institute districts, by act, and one institute is allowed in each district. Two regular meetings, to which the speakers are sent at the expense of the government, are allowed to each institute each year; and as many supplementary meetings as the institutes choose to have, they providing the speakers, except when speakers are asked for, in which case the government pays the fares only. The institutes are supported entirely by the Provincial government, 50 cents per head being the per capita grant to institutes, and $6.50 per day for speakers sent to regular meetings. The last year's grant amounted to $3,000. The number of institutes held in 1899 was 105, the total attendance 3,317. There is a Provincial department of agriculture. CALIFORNIA. 1891. No farmers' institutes. 1899. The department of university extension in agriculture of the University of California holds the farmers' institutes. The official year ends July 1. In 1897-98, 79 institutes were held; in 1898-99, 10 86 were held. The average attendance at each of these institutes is estimated to be 200, making a total of about 17,000. It is the aim to distribute the institutes somewhat uniformly geographically, but the determining factor is the spontaneity of the application and the assur- ance of local preparation. The university carries on the work from its own funds. In 1898-99 about $4,500 were expended, including the salaries of two conductors. California has a State board of agricul- ture, the chief duty of which is the holding of fairs. COLORADO. 1891. Xo direct appropriations were made by the general assembly during this year for the purpose of supporting and conducting farmers' institutes. The State board of agriculture set aside a certain sum to be used for the purpose of defraying the expenses of professors attend- ing such institutes held in different parts of the State. Since the year 1888 a record had been kept of the amount expended for this purpose, which is as follows: For the year 1888, $99.55; for the year 1889, $56.60; for the year 1890, 8121.80; for the year 1891, $90; for the year 1892 the sum of $500 had been appropriated for said purposes. 1899. All farmers' institutes in Colorado are held under the auspices of the State Agricultural College. There is no definite number held each year; they have varied from about 6 to 20. These meetings are not regularly distributed over the State. They are held entirely in the irrigated districts, and at least one-third of them are held in connection with meetings of local Pomona granges* There are also several local organizations which apply to the college for speakers to be sent to help conduct the meetings. There is no definite sum available for the insti- tutes; each locality is expected to pay the expenses of the room in which the meeting is held, of printing programmes, and other local expenses. The railroads furnish free transportation and the college pays the rest of the traveling expenses; also the hotel expenses if there are any, although the local people are very likely to take care of the speakers while they are in town. On the average there has been less than $150 a year spent by the college on these institutes. There is no State department of agriculture. There is a so-called State board of agriculture, but this is merely the legal title for the trustees of the State Agricultural College. CONNECTICUT. 1891. Xo appropriation. The board of agriculture held an important winter meeting from its own funds, and about $200 per year was other- wise expended for institute work. 1899. The farmers' institutes in Connecticut are held under the aus- pices of the State board of agriculture, the State Dairymen's Associa- tion, and the State Pomological Society. As many are held yearly as the secretaries of these organizations may deem advisable, varying 11 somewhat with the funds available and the calls received. About 12 to 15 were held in 1898, not including annual meetings of each of these organizations. The total attendance at institutes daring L899 is estimated at about 5,000. The institutes by the State board are distributed chiefly according to applications received, while those held by the State Dairymen's Association are distributed according to the judgment of the secretary. There is no special appropriation for insti- tutes. The various State organizations holding the same use money from their regular appropriations after holding annual conventions ami allowing for other necessary expenses. There is a State board of agri- culture in Connecticut, appointed in part by the governor, and in part by the legislature by counties. DELAWARE. 1891. "Annual appropriation of $200 to each of the three counties. In an act providing for the holding of farmers' institutes, passed March 29, 1889, the object of the institutes is defined to be "the discussion orally, or by written essays or papers, of agricultural or kindred mat- ters, and for the dissemination of agricultural knowledge among the farmers of the State." 1899. Each county receives 8200 if it organizes a body technically known as an institute. The officers of this institute " shall be a presi- dent, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and executive committee of five to nine members." This institute for the election of officers is prac- tically a mass meeting of the farmers of the county. The officers serve one year without compensation The institute may hold as many meet- ings as it choose, "at such times and places as the members * * * may * * * determine." Sometimes 8 to 12 meetings may be held in a county. About 50 such meetings were held during 1899. The total number of farmers attending was probably 2,000 to 2,500. There is no State department of agriculture, although the new State constitu- tion provides for the organization of one by the legislature. FLORIDA. 1891. No appropriation. 1899, No farmers' institutes were held in Florida previous to the past collegiate year. Institutes are now held under the auspices of the department of agriculture of the Agricultural College. One is held in each county of the State annually, provided local parties request the same. They are held only upon request from the different counties. In the event that requests are not received from certain counties and more requests are received from other counties, more than one institute may be held in any given county, provided the total number of insti- tutes in the State does not exceed the total number of counties, aggre gating 49 for the State. Fourteen institutes were held iu 1899 with an average attendance of about 300. There is no money available for 12 institutes specifically outside of the regular educational income of the college. The railroads in the State cooperate in the movement, how- ever. There is a State department of agriculture with a commissioner of agriculture, elected by the people, with headquarters in Tallahassee. GEORGIA. 1S01. No appropriation. 1899. In Georgia farmers' institutes are conducted under the aus- pices of the State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Because of lack of means and time the institute work has been irregular of late. About 18 institutes are held annually on an average. They are irregu- larly distributed, being given where there is particular demand for them. Aside from the official institutes, the various officers of the experiment station give aid to meetings whenever they can. During the present year another institute movement has been prominent. It is established and maintained by the Atlanta Evening Journal, and is per- sonally superintended by its editor. During the summer of 1899 this gentleman conducted about 50 institutes. The State has never appro- priated money for institute work, but the college has been in the habit of giving from $200 to $500 annually for the work. The State depart- ment of agriculture has been organized for many years at the capital, the official head being the State commissioner of agriculture, who is one of the governor's cabinet. In 1898 the office of State entomologist was established, which is under the direction of the commissioner of agriculture. The State entomologist has attended farmers' institutes whenever practicable. In place of short institutes held for a day or two at a time in various parts of the State, there has now been projected a localized or continu- ous institute to be held for nine months each year in connection with the model farm of the State University at Athens. This movement is equivalent to what in other States is called a short course or winter course in agriculture. IDAHO. 1899. Farmers' institutes are conducted under the direction of the experiment station. ILLINOIS. 1891. In 1889 the thirty-sixth general assembly appropriated $100 per annum for the use of each Congressional district in the State hold- ing farmers' institute meetings. There being twenty Congressional districts, the sum appropriated therefor amounts to 84,000 for the two legislative years. There was paid to the districts holding farmers' institutes from said appropriation the sum of $3,000. The thirty- seventh general assembly, 1891, passed an act appropriating the sum of $50 annually for two years to each county farmers' institute. There being 102 counties in the State, the appropriation therefor amounts to the sum of $10,200. Few of the counties held meetings. 13 1899. One institute is held annually in each county under Hie auspices of county organizations. As already Stated, the Stale makes an appropriation for each county institute of $50, l>nl for the ensuing two years 175 arc allowed to each county. In addition to this, the State appropriates $8,000 annually to the Illinois State Farmers' Institute, which is an official board. The State institute has an advi- sory intlnence over the county institutes and holds annually a State meeting of three days' session. The institute inaugurates various educational work. The board of directors of the institute is composed of the State superintendent of public instruction, president State 1 )airy men's Association, dean of College of Agriculture, president State Board of Agriculture, president State Horticultural Society, and one member elected from each Congressional district of the State. There is also in Illinois a State board of agriculture. Its principal duty is to manage the Illinois State fair and collect quarterly crop statistics. INDIANA. 1891. An annual appropriation of $5,000. 1899. The farmers' institutes of Indiana are provided for by a State appropriation, and are held under the auspices of Purdue University. Each county in the State (92) holds an annual institute under State auspices. In a large number of cases a second meeting is also held if the direct apportionment of $25 for local expenses is not all used on the first meeting. Over one hundred institutes under State auspices are held annually (103 during 1898-99), and about 25 independent meetings. These independent meetings are held by the same local organization which has charge of the annual meetings under State con- trol. The meetings are distributed by counties. The general average attendance is about 250, making the total attendance probably 30,000 to 35,000. The sum of $5,000 is appropriated annually for this work. The State board of agriculture in Indiana corresponds with the State agricultural society of Michigan. It has in charge the State fair, and publishes a report of the fair and of the various industrial meetings held at the statehouse. There is no State commissioner of agriculture. The local organizations which cooperate with the superintendent of institutes in holding the annual institutes in the several counties have been organized, with the exception of two or three cases, for the express purpose of arranging for and holding farmers' institutes. IOWA. 1891. No appropriation. During the winter of 1890-91 the State agricultural society and the agricultural college appropriated a small sum. Institutes were held at this period but they were supported by individuals or societies. 1899. In most cases one institute is held in each county; sometimes 14 two. They are held under the auspices of the local institute officers of each county. State aid to the extent of $50 is appropriated to each county, of which there are 91). There is a State department of agri- culture, but it does not govern the institutes. KANSAS. 1891. No appropriation. 1899. Up to 1899, no State funds were available for institutes, but from $400 to $500 have been taken from the college funds annually. In 1897-98, 30 institutes were held; in 1898-99, 63. During the year 1899, 135 institutes were held, the total attendance being about 20,000. Now a State appropriation of $3,000 has been made, and it is expected that 300 institutes will be held and that one or two professors will be sent to each. The meetings are held where applications are made. The work is in charge of a committee made up from the experiment station staff. Kansas has a State board of agriculture. KENTUCKY. 1891. The first appropriation for State institutes was made in May, 1890, when the legislature passed an amendment to the law creating the bureau of agriculture, and requiring, among other things, that institutes be held in different parts of the State. The total appropri- ation to the bureau was $13,000, but no definite sum was specified for institutes. Five institutes were held in the fall of 1890, 9 in the spring of 1891, and 9 more were planned for the winter of 1891-91!. The cost of these institutes averaged about $100 each, so that about $1,000 may be said to have been spent for them annually. 1899. The institutes in Kentucky are conducted under the provi- sions of the law above referred to by the State commissioner of agricul- ture, labor, and statistics, aided by the advisory board, of which the director of the experiment station is a member. Twenty-one were held during the winter of 1898-99. During 1899, 44 institutes were held, with a total attendance of probably 3,500. The institutes are dis- tributed over the State as equitably as possible, the location being influenced to a considerable extent by local applications as showing- local interest. The commissioner of agriculture, labor, and statistics is elected, like the governor, for a term of four years, and is ineligible for reelection. LOUISIANA. 1891. No appropriation. 1899. The farmers' institutes of Louisiana are held under the aus- pices of the State commissioner of agriculture and immigration. As many institutes are held each year as there are parishes or clubs re- questing them. These meetings are distributed by counties or dis- tricts, and sometimes where parishes apply for them. Thirty- four 15 institutes were held in the State in 1809. Fifteen hundred dollars is annually appropriated by the state Legislature lor the purpose ot defraying the expenses of the workers in the institutes. The scientific men of the experiment station and the state University and Agricul- tural and Mechanical College render assistance, together with local talent from each neighborhood. MAINE. 1891. Annual appropriation, $3,000. The secretary of the board of agriculture and one member are obliged to hold two institutes yearly in every county. 1899. Farmers' institutes in Maine are held under the auspices of the board of agriculture. About 50 three-session meetings are held each year. The meetings are distributed about the State by counties as far as possible, and largely within the different counties, to those who apply for them. There is $3,500 available for the purpose of hold- ing these institutes. From 1890 to 1895 meetings were held, in 1899 the total attendance being about 11,600. The State board of agriculture has its office in the statehouse. MANITOBA. 1891. There are about 20 or 25 farmers' institutes in Manitoba, each one of which receives $25 a year from the Provincial funds. 1899. The farmers' institutes of Manitoba are organized under an act of the legislature. To give them a legal standing and entitle them to a government grant they must have at least 25 paid-up members. The yearly membership fee must not be less than 50 cents, and for each paid-up member the government gives them a grant of 50 cents. Twice in each year the department of agriculture of the Province sends out lecturers to visit all the institutes, two lecturers attending each one. A convention of delegates from all the institutes, known as the "Cen- tral Farmers' Institute," meets once a year, and the addresses there delivered are published by the department in the form of an annual report. These reports are distributed gratis to all applicants and sent as well to each member of the local institutes. In addition to the addresses to farmers' institutes, meetings are frequently held under the supervision of the department at central points throughout the country where there are no organized institutes, very frequently under the auspices of the local agricultural societies. In the year ended with 1897, 150 addresses were delivered at 48 different stations, afternoon and evening meetings being held in many places. MARYLAND. 1891. No appropriation. 1899. The law establishes a department of farmers' institutes, whose director is appointed by the trustees of the Maryland Agricultural 16 ( 'ollege. Oue institute is to be held annually in each of the 23 counties, ••and an additional one in each county if deemed necessary and desir- able." The attendance is probably 4,000 to 5,000. The sum of $3,000 is appropriated for the purpose. There is no State department of agriculture. MASSACHUSETTS. 1891. Each incorporated agricultural society in the State complying with the State Law and regulations of the board of agriculture received an annual bounty of $000. Each society was required to hold at least three institutes each year. In 1800. 36 societies held 129 institutes. The State board of agriculture also held one public three- day meeting, for which $800 was expended. The State also appro- priated funds for other general institutes, and for these institutes from $600 to $700 was used. 1899. The basis of the farmers' institutes in Massachusetts is the incorporated agricultural societies of the State which receive the State bounty, amounting to 8000 a year, and comply with State regulations concerning the holding of fairs and institutes, as explained above. The secretary of the State board of agriculture works in conjunction with the officers of such societies, being consulted in respect to speak- ers, subjects, etc. The secretary each year prints a list of speakers and subjects. This list is placed in the hands of the proper officers of the various societies, and from this list said officers generally select speakers. When the selection is made, the secretary of the State board of agriculture is notified, and he secures the speakers selected if possible. The State board secures in this way one speaker for each institute, and this speaker receives 810 and expenses for his services (the society furnishing hall, advertising, etc.), this money being paid out of an appropriation to the State board of agriculture for that pur- pose. The officers of the local societies may engage other speakers if they see tit, and if the speakers are approved by the secretary of the State board he may pay said speakers as above indicated. The officers of the local societies may also engage other speakers, thus having more than oue for a single institute, but only one speaker will be paid from the funds of the State board. Farmers' clubs and granges also hold occasional institutes, paying for their own speakers. Frequently a local grange cooperates with the local agricultural society, the State board of agriculture paying for one speaker for the society and the grange paying for another. Each incorporated agricultural society must hold at least three institutes yearly in order to receive the State bounty. The stronger societies hold more than that number, some of them as many as five or six. If the society holds more, it must pay the speakers. There are 35 societies in the State, making, therefore, a minimum number of 105 institutes. The institutes are held in such towns or cities lying within the territory from which the members and 17 exhibitors of the societies come, as the Bociety may select. The selec- tion varies from year to year, bo thai in the course of a few years practically all considerable towns in the State arc reached. The State includes about 360 Cities and towns, so all towns may be reached within three years. The board of agriculture may furnish institute lecturers to other than incorporated societies. The board held L25 institutes during the calendar year L898, L22 during IS!*!*. The total attendance at insti- tutes during L899 was between 11,000 and 12,000. Lecturers were fur- nished for 98 institutes, at a total cost of $ 1.409.04. MICHIGAN. 1891. No separate appropriation, an item for farmers' institutes being inserted annually in the appropriations made to the State board of agriculture. This was first given in 1870-77, the amount being $104.30. It has varied from that amount to *7.">0. which was the appro- priation in 1801. 1890. Institutes are held under the auspices of the State board, of agriculture by virtue of a special act of the legislature. This board has charge of the Agricultural College, so that it amounts to a college supervision of the institutes. The director of the experiment statiou connected with the college is superintendent of farmers' institutes. The institutes are held by couuties so far as possible. In 1808-99, 67 two-day county institutes were held, 107 one-day meetings, and the ••State round-up"' institute. The total attendance at all sessions of these meetings was about 100,000. The legislature appropriated s^OO for this work. A bulletin giving the proceedings of the institute is published. MINNESOTA. 1801. Annual appropriation, 87,000. The first appropriation, 85,000, was made in 1887. 1809. In Minnesota farmers* institutes are held under the auspices of an administrative board, consisting of three members of the board of regeuts of the university and the presidents of the State Agricul- tural Society, State Horticultural Society, and State Dairy Asso- ciation. The minimum number is fixed by law at 40 annually. The meetings are distributed by the administrative board upon the recom- mendation of the superintendent, and his recommendation is based upon the calls of the localities and knowledge of the conditions. There were held during 1800, 59 institute meetings, with a total attendance of 22,600. A State appropriation of $13,500 is made annually. Minne- sota has no State department of agriculture. MISSISSIPPI. 1891. Xo appropriation. 1899. The institutes are held under the auspices of the director of the experiment station, at places from which applications come. 17073— So. 79 2 18 Twenty-eight meetings, with a total attendance of 2,000, were held in L899. One thousand dollars a year is available for the purpose of institutes. There is a State department of agrieulture. MISSOURI. 1891. There was an appropriation, for eacli of two years, of 65,000. Expenses of members of board of agriculture attending meetings, per year, 8500. Institutes were planned for 56 counties of the State dur- ing the winter of 1891-92. The institute work was established in 1882 by Prof. J. W. Sanborn, then secretary of the State board of agriculture. The board was then receiving $2,500 per annum to carry on all its work, and out of this sum the expenses of a very limited series of farmers' institutes were met. Ity the aid of the members of the faculty of the Agricultural College, who gave their time during vacations and when they could be spared from their classroom work, and volunteer assistance from public-spirited farmers, the work was carried on without any special appropriation for the purpose from the general one made to the board, and which at any time never exceeded $3,000 per annum. The work progressed slowly from the time of its organization, and steadily grew in popularity until the demand was so great for institute meetings that the legislature recognized the necessity for making a liberal appropria- tion for carrying it on. The institute work did more toward securing the increase from 83,000 to 812,000 per year for carrying on the work of the board of agriculture than any other of the lines of work which the board prosecutes. 1899. Institutes in Missouri are held under the auspices of the State board of agriculture. About 50 are held each year. The institutes are held on request at places which have facilities for convenient access by rail. The secretary tries to distribute to all parts of the State. About 67 meetings were held in 1899, the attendance at which varied from 60 or 70 to 3,000 or 4,000. Three thousand dollars is appropriated annually for institute purposes. MONTANA. 1891. No institutes at this date. 1899. Institutes in Montana are given by the officers of the Agri- cultural College. About 18 were held during 1899, with a total attend- ance of 555. There are no funds specifically available for the purpose. The local expenses are borne by the various communities, and the rail- ways give transportation. NEBRASKA. 1891. No appropriation by the State. Institutes had been held for ten or twelve years, however, through the efforts of individuals and societies. About fifty institutes were arranged for the winter of 19 L891-92, bo be followed by a week or ben days' institute at Lincoln, under the auspices of the State Oniversity. These were supported by appropriations from the following Bources: Board of regents of tin- State university, $300; State board of agriculture, $100; State Horti- cultural Society. $100; State Dairymen's Association. $100. L899. Institutes are held under the auspices of the Tniversity of Nebraska. The board of regents of the university elects the manager of the institutes, and upon bis recommendation disburses the money appropriated for institute work. The report of the manager of the institutes is incorporated with the biennial report of the regents to the governor, just as are the reports of the deans of colleges and directors of schools included in the university. There were 50 institutes held last year and a somewhat less number during each of the two previous years. The meetings are held at points in the State from which applications are reeeived. Either the manager or a deputy visits the points in the State where it is desirable to have institutes held, and works up an interest. It is not desired to hold a meeting in the same town two years consecutively, but this is sometimes done. At present the number of applications has not exceeded the uumber of institutes which it is possible to hold. In distributing the meetings, cognizance is taken of districts and county lines, so that each part of the State receives approximately the number of institutes corresponding to its population. This is all at the discretion of the institute manager. Sixty two meetings were held in 1899, at which the aggregate attend- ance was 26,800. There is $1,500 available annually for institute work. This is appropriated by the State legislature, and is a part of the appropriation to the State university. There is a State board of agriculture in this State, dating back to a very early period in the history of the Territory. It is a well-organized, self-perpetuating body, and conducts the State fair and publishes an annual report. NEVADA. 1891. No appropriation. 1899. Farmers' institutes are not yet organized in Nevada. Lectures are given in various parts of the State by officers of the agricultural college when applications are made for them. NEW BRUNSWICK. 1899. Farmers' institute meetings are held under the direction of the commissioner of agriculture. The number of meetings varies, but runs in the neighborhood of 50 per year. There were 75 in 1899, with a total attendance of about 3,000. The meetings are distributed as fairly as possible throughout all the sections of the Province. The Provincial government pays the cost of these meetings, which usually means about $3,000 per year. There is a Provincial department of agriculture. 20 NEW HAMPSHIRE. 1891. About $1,000 was used annually for farmers' institutes. Previous to 1891 the amount averaged about $600. 1899. Under the auspices of the State board of agriculture 20 insti- tutes (2 to a county) are held each year. The total attendance in 1899 was about 8,000. In the work from 81,500 to $2,000, given by the State, is expended. NEW JERSEY. 1891. About $2,000 of the amount appropriated to the State board of agriculture was used annually for institutes. The county boards of agriculture held meetings which were of an institute character, and these boards received some of the general funds appropriated to the State board. Sixteen county boards had been organized. 1899. Institutes are held under and by direction of the State board of agriculture, officially under the direction of the executive committee of the board, directly under the management and direction of the secre- tary. From 30 to 40 are held each fall and winter. The total attend- ance at the 30 institutes held during 1899 was 4,320. The organization of the New Jersey State board of agriculture is somewhat peculiar in that there are county boards of agriculture which are auxiliary to the State board. These are supposed to hold about four meetings a year, at the beginning of each season's work, and they are of a semiinstitute character. Lectures and discussions are had, bearing chiefly on the work in the locality where the meeting is held. It is the aim to hold from one to three meetings in each county. This has been done, with the exception of three counties — Hudson, not an agricultural county j Pas- saic, unorganized; and Ocean, having but a small part of its territory devoted to agricultural purposes. About $2,000 per year are available for the institutes. The total appropriation to the State board of agri- culture is 80,000 annually. Out of this comes the secretary's salary, stenographer's pay, postage, expressage, expense of executive com- mittee, expense of other committees, expense of annual meeting, etc. The executive committee endeavors so to regulate the expenses as to have about the amount named available for institutes. No definite sum is specified by law. NEW MEXICO. 1891. No appropriation. 1899. There are no farmers 1 institutes in the Territory. Three years ago there was a farmers' institute at Mesilla Park, held in the college building, directed by the college president, who was assisted by the station staff. There were few outsiders who took part in the pro- grammes. This institute was repeated two seasons, when it was dis- continued. There is no money available for farmers' institutes. There is no department of agriculture in the Territory. 21 NEW YORK. L891. Annual appropriation since L888, $10,000. The first appropri ation, $6,000, was made in L887. From 70 to 80 institutes were held each winter, under the personal charge of a director selected by the State Agricultural Society. 1899. The annual appropriation has been $20,000 for the pasl two years. The work is under the auspices of the commissioner of agri- culture, Albany, who appoints a director of institutes. About 300 meetings are held each year, in places from which applications come. The attendance at the institutes is increasing rapidly and is now probably 75,000 or more annually. NORTH CAROLINA. 1891. No appropriation. From $250 to $500 per year was devoted to institutes by the State board of agriculture from its own funds. The lirst institutes were held in 1880 or 1887. 1899. The department of agriculture, immigration, and statistics of North. Carolina is supported by a tonnage tax on commercial manures. The department is under the control of a board of agriculture, one of whose functions is to hold farmers' institutes. The board of agriculture may use its discretion as to amount of money it will expend and num- ber of institutes it will hold. The institutes have not been systematic- ally placed over the State, but have rather followed the applications aud the routes which the institute workers have outlined as desirable to follow. On these trips institutes are generally held at a county court- house. The legislature of 1897 elected an institute holder. Now the director and professors of the experiment station may be called upon to hold institutes, but the work is officially in the hands of the board of agriculture. NORTH DAKOTA. 1891. No appropriation. 1899. Probably the first institute in North Dakota was held at Casselton in 1894. In the following summer institutes were held at Mayville and Buxton, and each year since then a few institutes have been held at different points in the State. These institutes have usu- ally been secured by farmers in the locality who have been interested in the work, assisted by members of the experiment station staff*. Prob- ably an average of five a year have been held. There is a State department of agriculture and labor, but in the past it has had no direct relation with institute work ; but the last legislature appointed an assistant dairy commissioner who is director of institute work, and appropriated 81,000 for the expenses of the institutes for the biennial period. This law went into effect the 1st of July. Eleven institutes were held in 1899, with a total attendance of about 1,200. 22 NOVA SCOTIA. 1891. There was no regular organization for farmers' institutes in this Province in 1891, and no money was given by the government specially for this purpose. Professor Smith, principal of the agricul- tural school, held meetings in the western counties of the Province, and one of the graduates of the school was employed to lecture in the Cape Breton counties during the winter. The expenses of these ofiicers were borne by the government. 1899. Nova Scotia has not a department for agriculture, like some other provinces in the Dominion, but the agricultural work of the Province is done through the secretary for agriculture under the gov- ernment. There are no institutes as such, but agricultural societies number about 120 in the whole province. These are organized in any section where not less than 25 farmers unite and subscribe a sum of not less than 840. which entitles them to be recognized as a society by the government and to a portion of the grant to agriculture pro rata to the amount subscribed. The secretary for agriculture holds what might be called institute meetings in various parts of the province where in his judgment they are most needed, or by requests from lead- ing men in the several districts. At these meetings he usually is accompanied by the Provincial professor of horticulture and some other prominent agriculturist. The expenses are taken out of the grant for agriculture, the total grant for the Province for all purposes being about $25,000 annually. This includes aid to agricultural societies, bonus to creameries, school and farm of agriculture and horticulture. OHIO. 1891. There was no specific appropriation by the State for farmers' institutes. The funds come from the county treasuries, each county appropriating not more than 8200 annually. For 1890-91 the total fund spent for institutes in Ohio was $7,823.56. In 1890-91, 124 insti- tutes were held under the auspices of the State board of agriculture. In 1886-87 there were 50; 1887-88, GO; 1888-89, 02. 1899. Farmers' institutes in Ohio are held under the auspices and by direction of the State board of agriculture, as provided by law. From one to four institutes are held in each of the 88 counties of the State, the number aggregating 274 for the season 1899-1900, with a total average attendance of 98,210. The number is limited by law to four in each county. Some counties hold the full number allowed, others have two, or three, and a very few hold only one. Societies make applica- tions for meetings to be held in their respective localities, and many more applications are received each year than can be granted under the present law. There is available for expenses of the institutes 88,173.36. and for the payment of lecturers employed by the State board of agriculture a like sum, this being the avails of a per capita tax of 6 23 mills, no county, however, contributing more than $250. There is as excellently organized and very active State board of agriculture in ( >hio. This issues a descriptive bulletin designating the institutes to be held during the year and an annual report giving the proceedings. The law governing farmers' institutes was passed April 5S6, 1890, and amended April 27, 1896. ONTARIO. 1891. The number of farmers' institutes organized in Ontario, as reported in L890, was 78. These each received a grant from the Ontario government of $25, and a similar grant from the county council of the municipality in which the institute was organized. Besides this, the Ontario government gave $2,000 in 1891 to defray the expenses of the professors at Gueiph, who devoted the greater part of January to attendance at these meetings. The Gueiph officers divided up into three or four groups, and took with each group a representative of the Fruit Growers' Association and one or two representative farmers ; and. they were out continuously for three or four weeks, going from place to place, holding meetings which had been previously arranged for and advertised. There was also a central farmers 1 institute, which held its meeting annually in Toronto for three days, and at this meeting one or more persons represented each farmers' institute in the province. The government grant to this was $800. 1899. The institutes in Ontario are held under the auspices of the Ontario department of agriculture, directed by an official of that depart- ment, who is known as the superintendent of farmers' institutes. The local institutes are controlled by rules and regulations that have the sanction of the Ontario government. For the year ended June 30, 1898, some 60S were held. During the year ended June 30, 1899, 677 institute meetings were held, at which the total attendance reported was 119,402. The number of institutes varies from year to year, accord- ing to the desire of those locally interested. The government pays the traveling expenses and allowances of two speakers for two meetings in each institute division, which is usually composed of four townships. The government also pays the allowances of one or two speakers who attend four supplementary meetings in each institute district. If they want to hold meetings other than the six already mentioned, the local institutes are required to pay all expenses and allowances. The Province is divided into 96 institute districts, and the endeavor of the superin- tendent is to have the meetings distributed evenly over these various districts. The result is that all parts of the Province are reached. The government appropriation for farmers' institute work is $9,900. This inolndes the salary of the superintendent and the expenses of his office (but this does not include the cost of printing and publishing the annual report. This annual report goes out as one of the reports of the depart- 24 ment, and is charged to a special appropriation set apart for such par- poses). The appropriation includes a grant of |25 to each institute, conditional upon (25 being voted from the local municipality. The provincial department of agriculture is presided over by a minister. who is a member of the government. This department is placed on the same looting as the other departments over which other ministers preside. The history of the germ of the institute movement in Ontario (and in Canada in general) is given by C. 0. James, deputy minister of agri- culture for Ontario, as follows: January, 1885, was the time of the revival of farmers' institute work in Ontario. It was the date of the beginning of the work under the name of farmers* institutes, and the main inspiration for the revival of the work at that time was the success attending the farmers' institute work iu some of the United States. This, however, was not the first time that instruction of farmers had been attempted. The original agricultural societies of this Province, as well as of some of the other Provinces, had made instruction through papers and discussions an important feature of their work. Of late years agricultural societies have confined themselves to the holding of fair--, and I presume that is one reason why farmers' institute work lias been so successful. In the earlier days our agricultural societies were accustomed to offer prizes for essays on various subjects, such as the growing of wheat, the growth and manufac- ture of hemp and flax, etc. These papers were read at the annual meeting and discussed. The first agricultural society iu Upper Canada was organized in 1792 or 1793, and we have reason to believe that the instruction of the members was of greater moment than the holding of fairs. This society formed an extensive agricultural library which was carried on for the benefit of its members for a number of years, until it was finally incorporated with the public library of the old town of Niagara. In 1830 agricultural societies were especially encouraged by an act passed in that year, and the first provincial fair was held in 1846. From that time forward these societies were under the control of a board of agriculture, which was composed of a large number of representative farmers of the Province. Prof. George Bncklaud was for many years secretary. He conducted a course in agriculture in connection with the Toronto University, and had a small experimental farm within the present limits of the city of Toronto. He was accustomed to make a tour of the agricultural societies and address them upon various agricultural topics. In many cases these agricul- tural societies devoted their energies and funds to the introduction of pure-bred stock and seed grain, and in a few sections the desire for instruction not being fully met by the agricultural societies, others known as farmers' clubs were organized. The records of these are very meager. However, I have before me reference to one which may be of interest. It is contained in an article written by Mr. Walter Rid- dell, sr., of Cobourg, and refers to the county of Northumberland, about 70 miles east of Toronto. He says: " There had been an agricultural society iu this county before we knew it. The first society was formed in 1824. It held shows and plow- ing matches, and gave prizes for best managed farms, and for essays on wheat cul- ture and other varying subjects. The farmers' club was begun in 1846, and though often dormant, it took occasionally lively starts and held sometimes ten or twelve meetings in a year. The subject for discussion at the next meeting was selected and someone appointed to undertake it, which he might do either verbally or by written paper. The subject was then discussed by the members. This has been superseded by fanners' institutes." At the time of the organization of the farmers' institutes there were active farmers' clubs in Pnshl inch township, Wellington County, and at St. George in Brant 25 County, and the members of these clubs a1 once threw their energies Into the farm- ers' institutes. There vrere probably many others, hut their record baa disappeared. M\ conclusion, therefore, ia that, while the year 1885 may be given as the year of the revival of farmers' institute work and placing it upon an organized ami perma- nent footing, i lie germs of the work must be looked for in the farmers' clnba and the agricultural societies, the earliest of which dates back tor over one hundred years. The first agricultural society organized a1 Quebec, L 789, published a small volume containing special information ami suggesting various lines of experiments. The report was \ ery much of the nature of the lirst report of the New York society, lT'.'L'. OREGON. 181)1. No appropriation. 1891). The institutes in Oregon are held under the auspices of the Agricultural College. From 7 to 12, or even 15, are held each year, and an effort is made to visit as many sections of the State as possible, at the request of local granges and other organizations. At the 12 insti- tutes held in 1899 the total attendance was about 1,600. There has been no regular amount available for this work, but the expenses have been borne by the Agricultural College and Experiment Station fund. There is no State department of agriculture. PENNSYLVANIA. The appropriation for institute work was $1,000 in 1885 ; $1,000 in 1886; $3,000 in 1887; $3,000 in 1888; $5,000 in 1889; 85,000 in 1890; $7,000 in 1891, and $7,000 in 1892, with the addition of 81,500 for expenses of members of the State board of agriculture in attending meetings. Each county agricultural society elected a member of the State board, and each member was responsible for the institutes and expenditures of funds in his district. In 1890-91, 61 institutes were held. 1899. In Pennsylvania the institutes are held under the direction of the deputy secretary of agriculture, who is, under the law, the director of institutes. Last year (1898-99), 308 institutes were held in this State, the total attendance being over 50,000. The meetings are distributed according to the number of farms in each county: two days' institute to every county having not over 1,000 farms, three days' insti- tute to each county having more than 1,000 and not over 1.500; after- wards one day for each 1,500 farms or fraction thereof additional. The legislature has appropriated $12,500 per year for institutes, all of which is available for the carrying on of the work. There is a State depart- ment of agriculture, composed of a secretary, deputy secretary (who is director of institutes), dairy and food commissioner, forestry commis- sioner, veterinarian and economic zoologist. The institute work is very thoroughly organized. QUEBEC. 18!'9. The Province has no regularly organized farmers' institutes, but it has farmers' clubs, which are, in a certain degree, a similar 26 organization. Daring the year 1898 there were 510 farmers' clubs in operation. One can be established in each parish or township. A club has seven directors. Its object is to promote improvement in agri- culture and horticulture, (1) By holding meetings for discussion and for hearing lectures on subjects connected with the theory and practice of improved husbandry; (2) by promoting the circulation of agricul- tural papers; (3) by offering prizes or essays on questions of theoretical or practical agriculture; (4) by importing, or otherwise procuring, animals of superior breeds, new varieties of plants and grain, and seeds of the best kind; (5) by organizing plowing matches, competitions respecting standing crops and the best cultivated farms; (G) by pro- curing books, reviews, and newspapers treating of agricultural sub- jects for the use of their members; (7) by promoting and favoring experiments in farming, manure, and improved agricultural machinery and implements. The Journal of Agriculture, published twice a month by the depart- ment of agriculture in both English and French, is sent to every member of a club. The Journal penetrates now into every region of the Province. Many of those clubs have several meetings every year, in order to hear lectures and discussions on agricultural subjects. Two lecturers are employed by the department to give lectures before those clubs. Other lecturers also visit those associations. Besides the salary of the official lecturers, there is a vote of $3,000 to pay the traveling- expenses of those lecturers. The salary of each lecturer is $1,000 a year. The annual grant given by the Provincial government to each club is from $25 to $50, according to the number of members. The total amount paid last year was $19,542.71. The number of their mem- bers was 40,903; they subscribed $51,037.85. In 1887 they spent for agricultural purposes $85,747.92. The lectures given before the farmer s ? clubs are popular and well attended. The institutes or meetings are generally under the auspices of the farmers' clubs; sometimes the lecturers will hold meetings of farmers in a parish or township where there is no club, but, in such cases, the organization is not so good and the meetings are not so well attended. The official lecturers hold every year about 200 or 300 meet- ings of farmers. Many clubs hear lectures from persons not employed by the department. There are many lectures given every year by Roman Catholic priests who take an interest in agriculture. The exist- ence and usefulness of many clubs are due to some of these priests. The annual programme adopted by each club must be approved by the commissioner of agriculture. RHODE ISLAND. 1891. No specific appropriation. About 10 institutes were held during the year at an average cost of about $40 each. These were held uuder the auspieces of the State board of agriculture. For a few win- 27 fcera previous bo L889-90 the state Agricultural Society held a course of about 6 lectures at the society's rooms in Providence, the expense being partly borne by the board of agriculture. Comparatively few tanners could attend these meetings, and in January, L890, the board held an institute in Kingston, following the meeting of the State < Grange. After thai date institutes were held in various parts of the State. L899. The farmers' institutes which are held in Rhode Island are conducted under the auspices of the State board of agriculture, which, bylaw, is directed to hold one institute in each county and as many more as may be practicable. The State has 5 counties. As many as 26 have been held in one year. They are often held in cooper- ation with grange organizations. There is no specitic sum set aside for institutes, but they are supported from the general appropriation to the State board of agriculture. Three hundred dollars a year is considered to be a short allowance. SOUTH CAROLINA. 1891. The State Agricultural Society for a number of years, com- mencing about 1874, held summer meetings in different parts of the State, at which essays were read and discussions had on agricultural topics; but no funds were appropriated for this purpose until 18S7 or 1888, after which amounts ranging from $200 to 8300 were expended annually for this purpose by the department of agriculture, until the abolishment of this department, which occurred in December, 181)0, the duties of the department of agriculture devolving upon the trustees of Clemson Agricultural College. 1899. About 16 institutes are held annually under the auspices of Clemson College. They are held wherever applied for. The total attendance during 1899 is estimated at 5,000. About $1,500 per year is available for this work, the expenses of which are borne by Clemson College and the experiment station. SOUTH DAKOTA. 1891. The State legislature had authorized the board of control of the State Agricultural College to provide for holding tanners' institutes, but appropriated no funds for the purpose. Accordingly, the trustees directed the faculty of the college to provide programmes and arrange for a series of five institutes during December and January, 1891-1*1* As no funds were appropriated, consequently all expenses had to be met by the communities where institutes were desired. The college printed a roster of its officers who could take part in the institute work, with the subject which they wished to discuss. Communities that desired institutes applied directly to the college. 1899. All institutes are held under the auspices of the State Agri- cultural College. There is a director of the farmers* institutes, who is paid by the State appropriation. The number of institutes is not 28 Limited. About 35 are held each year. Any section in which sufficient interest obtains can have provided for it an institute by making appli- cation to the director. The last Legislature appropriated (2,000 for the farmers' institutes. This is for one year. There is no State depart- ment of agriculture in South Dakota but there is a State board of agriculture, which has charge of the State fair. TENNESSEE. 1891. There was no appropriation for the special purpose of organ- izing farmers' institutes, but the commissioner of agriculture had organized institutes in over one-half of the State. The work was done by the assistant commissioners in connection with their general work, and they were paid out of the general appropriation made for the department of agriculture. 1899. Institutes are held under the auspices of the experiment sta- tion, about $500 of the station funds being set aside for the work. This work was begun in January, 1809. During the year 13 institutes were held under station auspices, with an estimated total attendance of 2,400. There is a department of agriculture in the State, which also holds institutes. TEXAS. 1891. Annual appropriation for institutes in this year was 8500, to be used under the direction of the Agricultural and Mechanical Col- lege. It was expected that one institute would be held in each Con- gressional district. 1899. There is no system of State institutes in Texas. A number of institutes are held throughout the year, each independent of the other. No record is kept of the number, but there are probably not more than 15 every season. It is estimated that from 20 to 25 were held in 1899, with an average attendance of 35 to 15. The institutes are spontaneous in the localities where held. No money is available for institutes, strictly speaking. Experiment station officers often attend the institutes, their expenses being met by the station. There is a State department of agriculture in Texas, but for lack of appropriations it is able to do little. UTAH. 1891. No appropriation. 1899. Utah institutes are held under the auspices of the Agricul- tural College. At least one institute per year must be held in each county of the State, which would require 20, but a greater number than this is usually held — about 30 in 1899. Besides the one in each county required by law, the institutes are usually held at places where the people apply for them. Fifteen hundred dollars is the permaueut annual appropriation to meet the traveling expenses of those who take part in the institutes. The professors are expected to contribute the 29 time. An annual bulletin is printed, which contains the lectures given at what is termed a central institute, one of which is held each year. The institute law also makes it the duty of those conducting institutes to encourage and assist the organization of local agricultural societies. There is no State department of agriculture. VERMONT. 1801. At this time there was an annual appropriation of $2,500 for institutes. Every other year a report was printed by the board of agriculture at a cost of $1,500. 1809. At present institutes are held in Vermont under the auspices of the State board of agriculture, a body of six men, all gubernatorial appointments. The number ranges from 25 to 40 a year. The law required the board to hold at least one meeting in every comity each year. The meetings are placed more particularly in accordance with local request, once the terms of the law are fulfilled; thus some counties have but a single meeting, others, it may be, four. Five thousand dol- lars annually is appropriated for this purpose. At no time has this amount been spent. There is no State department of agriculture, as such, in the State. The State board of agriculture is the central agri- cultural bureau. VIRGINIA. 1891. At this date there was no appropriation for farmers' institutes, although the State board of agriculture used $250 of the general funds for this purpose. 1899. In Virginia there is no regular institute bureau, nor any per- son charged with the conduct of the institutes. The State board of agriculture used to hold some half dozen or so institutes during the course of a year, paying the expenses of the same out of its own funds, but recently this has been dropped. There are, however, a number of excellent farmers' clubs in the State which carry on the institute work from year to year at their own expense, if they can not secure assistance from the State board of agriculture, or from the Polytechnic Institute (Agricultural College). It is the custom of the institute always to aid them by furnishing at least one speaker. The number varies not more than a half do/en in one year; but of lesser meetings not strictly institutes, a considerable number are held over the State. There is a State department of agriculture, which is charged with the fertilizer control work, and has at its head a commissioner of agriculture and employs chemists. By recent amendment of the State fertilizer law. it is expected that the income of the department will be materially increased, and the holding of institutes is to be made a feature of the work of the department. 30 WASHINGTON. 1801. No appropriation. 1899. Institutes in Washington are held under the auspices of the Stale experiment station. They are held as often as communities re- quest them and members of the stall" can be detailed to attend them — usually 10 to 20 a year. Xo definite sum is provided. Expenses are borne from the general State appropriation to the Agricultural College. There is no State department of agriculture. WEST VIRGINIA. 1891. No appropriation. 1899. All the farmers' institutes in West Virginia are held under the auspices of the State board of agriculture. During the fiscal year ended September o0, 1899. (IT institutes were held in the 55 counties of the State, the estimated total attendance being 14,000. There is one county institute, and then a second one in the same county when much interest is manifested. Annual appropriation to the board, including salaries, printing, looking after diseased animals, etc., is $7,800, about $2,500 of which goes for institutes. The board may use more or less, at its discretion. WISCONSIN. 1891. Annual appropriation. $12,000. The first funds were given in 1885. The first two years the annual appropriation was 85.000. The proceedings of the institutes were printed each year in a volume, of which 31,000 are issued. From 70 to 75 institutes were held during the winter, with an average attendance of over 500. 1899. In Wisconsin institutes are held under the auspices of the board of regents of the State University. About 120 meetings are held each year, distributed as evenly over the State as possible. The number held in 1899 was 127, with an aggregate attendance of about 55,000. An annual appropriation of 812.000 for their maintenance has been voted by the legislature. There is a State board of agriculture in Wisconsin which as yet bears no official relation to the institutes. The Agricultural College cooperated with the institutes to the extent of doing a limited amount of work at a few institute meetings. One of the most important parts of the work is the publication of 00,000 copies each year of the Farmers' Institute Bulletin, which has proved very popular. WYOMING. 1891. Xo appropriation. 1899. Little attempt has yet been made to hold farmers' institutes in Wyoming. At Lander, a few years ago, the farmers organized and held a few local institutes. There is no fetate department of agriculture or society pertaining to agricultural pursuits, except the Wyoming Live Stock Commission. Xo money is available for institute work, 31 unless it be taken from college or station funds. Agriculture and horticulture arc new in Wyoming; the population is small and widely scattered: but it is the opinion of the station officers thai the time lias come to begin the institutes and to place the work of the station and college before the farmers and ranchmen. SUMMARY. The most noticeable feature in the foregoing statistics is the fact that, with about three exceptions, every State and province is making an effort to reach the farmers by means of institutes. 1 n most of the older States the institute movement has passed its experimental stage, and is bo well grounded in public opinion and policy as to be a recognized part of governmental or educational machinery. The second feature in importance is the variety of ways in which the institutes are promulgated and administrated. The machinery of administration is of two general kinds — it may be directly under gov- ernmental auspices, or directly in the hands of an educational institu- tion. The governmental control may be of four general kinds — in charge of a State department of agriculture, in charge of an independ- ent State officer, in charge of county organizations, in charge of rural societies which receive State or provincial bounties. Of the 47 States and provinces reported in the foregoing pages, 24 have farmers' insti- tutes more or less under governmental control, and 23 have them under the auspices of the agricultural college or experiment station. The greater number of instances in which governmental control obtains are in the older States; and it is in the older States that the machinery of governmental bureaus was likely to have been well established before the colleges became thoroughly intrenched in public opinion. In the Canadian provinces, the institute work proceeds directly from gov- ernmental departments, and the same is true in the following States: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ehode Island, Vermont, West Virginia. These States number 19, and they comprise all the States east of and including New York and Pennsylvania. The States in which the institutes are directly under the auspices of the agricultural college or experiment station are: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland. Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington. Wisconsin. These States also number 19, and they are Southern and Western States. There remain a num- ber of States in which the institutes are not well organized or in which they are under dual control. Of the 19 States in which the institutes emanate from Government bounty, three (Delaware, Illinois, Iowa) pros- ecute the work on the basis of county organizations; in the remaining 1<> the work is more intimately connected with a State department of agriculture, and which has additional duties. 32 Twenty-one States and provinces make stated and specific appro- priations toi institute work, and the amounts aggregate 8140,440.72. In the other States and provinces the amount of funds to be devoted to the work is more or less discretionary, and is derived from general appropriations to the department of agriculture, from bounties depend- ent upon the number of participants in the institutes, or from the funds of the college or experiment station. The writer estimates these annual expenditures in the past year (1899) to have been 830,000. Nine States and one province make specific appropriations of $5,000 and more: N\-w York. $20,000; Ohio, $16,340.7l>; Illinois, $15,650; Minnesota, $13,500; Pennsylvania, $12,500; Wisconsin, 812,000; Ontario, $9,900; Michigan, $5,500; Indiana, $5,000; Vermont, $5,000. Altogether there is a grand total of more than $170,000 expended for farmers' institutes, or twice the sum estimated to have been expended in 1891. From statistics collated by the Office of Experiment Stations it is estimated that about 2,000 institutes were held in the United States during 1899, which were attended by over half a million farmers. The importance of institutes as factors in the general education of farmers in some of the States where they have been most successful may be indicated by the following brief statistics : In Wisconsin there are now annually held 120 institutes, with an average attendance of over 50,000 persons; in Massachusetts 125 insti- tutes, with an attendance of about 11,000 farmers; in West Virginia over 60 institutes, with a total attendance of 14,000; in Minnesota 50 institutes, of two or three days each, with an attendance at each of from 300 to 1,000; in Indiana 100 institutes, with an attendance of over 25,000: in Kansas 135 institutes, with a total attendance of 20,000; in Michigan institutes in nearly every county, and a total attendance reported to reach 120,000; in Nebraska 00 institutes, with a total attendance of over 26,000; in Pennsylvania about 300 institutes, with a total attendance of over 50,000; in Ohio 250 institutes in 88 counties, with an aggregate attendance of about 90,000; in Xew York over 300 institutes yearly, with a total attendance of about 75,000; in California about 80 institutes annually, with a total attendance of 16,000. One who considers these figures must be impressed with the large- ness of the effort which is being made to improve the agricultural condition. Generous as they are, they are still greatly inadequate to the work which needs to be done, and the next decade will see much larger sums appropriated. Even without knowing it. the public is coming to see that the mere establishment of agricultural colleges and experiment stations and State departments of agriculture is not sufficient to consum- mate the education of the rural population: for farmers are a solitary people and do not combine as readily as those of other occupations. 33 OFFICIALS IN CHARGE OF FARMERS INSTITUTES IN THE UNITED STATES. Alabama I. F. Culver, Commissioner of Agriculture, Montgomery. C. A. (an, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn. Arizona ..„.R. il. Forbes, Director Agricultural Experiment station, Tucson. Arkansas W. G. Vincenheller, Agricultural Experiment Station, Payette- ville. California E. J. Wickson, University of California, Berkeley. D. T. Fowler, Conductor Farmers' Institutes for Central and Northern California, Berkeley. A. J. Cook, Conductor Farmers' Institute- for Southern Califor- nia, Claremont. COD ►RADO B. 0. Aylesworth, President State Agricultural ( College, Fort Col- lins. CONNECTICUT T. S. Gold, Secretary State Board of Agriculture, West Cornwall. F. H. Stadtnmeller, Secretary Connecticut Dairymen's Associa- tion, Elmwood. J. H. Merriman, Secretary Connecticut Pomological Society, New- Britain. DELAWARE Wesley Webb, Superintendent Farmers' Institute for Kent County, Dover. A. T. Neale (Director Agricultural Experiment Station), Super- intendent Farmers' Institute for Newcastle County, Newark. S. H. Messick, Secretary Farmers' Institute for Sussex County, Bridgeville. Florida H. E. Stockhridge, Agricultural College, Lake City. GEORGIA II. C. White, President State College of Agriculture and .Mechanic Arts, Athens. Editor Atlanta Evening Journal, Atlanta. Idaho J. P. Blanton, Director Agricultural Experiment Station, Moscow. Illinois A. B. Hostetter, Superintendent of Farmers' Institute, Spring- field. E. Davenport, Dean College of Agriculture, University of Illinois, LTrbana. Indiana W.C.Latta, Agricultural Experiment Station, Lafayette. low a G. Van Houten. Secretary State Board of Agriculture, 1 >es Moines. W. M. Beardshear, President State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, Ames. Kansas J. T. Willard, Director Agricultural Experiment Station, Man- hattan. Kentucky L. Moore. Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture, Labor, and Statistics. Frankfort. M. A. Scovell, Director Agricultural Experiment Station, Lexing- ton. Louisiana L. Jastremski, Commissioner of Agriculture, Baton Rouge. Maine B. W. McKeen, Secretary State Board of Agriculture. Augusta. Maryland W. L. Amoss, Director Farmers' Institutes, College Park. Massachusetts I. W. Stock well, Secretary State Board of Agriculture, Boston. Michigan C. D. Smith. Director Agricultural Experiment Station. Agricul- tural College. Minnesota O. C. Gregg, Superintendent Farmers' Institutes, Lynd. Mississippi W. L. Hutchinson, Director Agricultural Experiment station, Agricultural Colle e. Missouri J. R. Rippey, Secretary State Hoard of Agriculture, Columbia. 17073— Xo. 79 3 34 Montana I. Reid, President College of Agricnlture and Mechanic Arts, Bozeman. Nebraska E. A. Burnett, University <>f Nebraska, Lincoln. \ i\\ 1I.\ mi '-hum;. .X. .1. Bach elder, Secretary State Board of Agriculture, Concord. Ni.w Jersey F. Dye, Secretary state Hoard of Agriculture, Trenton. Ni:\v York P. E. Dawley, Director of Institutes, Fayetteville. North Carolina. .S. L. Patterson, ( lommissioner of Agriculture. Raleigh. North Dakota . . .E. E. Kaufman, Assistant Dairy Commissioner, Fargo. Ohio W. W. Miller, Secretary State Board <>f Agriculture, Columbus. ( OREGON I. Withycoiube. Vice-director Agricultural Experiment station, Corvallis. PENNSYLVANIA V. L. Martin. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Director Far- mers' Institutes, Harrisburg. Rhode Island G. A. Stockwell. Secretary state Board of Agriculture. Provi- dence. South Carolina .H. S. Hartzog, President Clemson Agricultural College, Clem- sou College. SOUTH Dakota . ..S. A. Cochrane, Director Farmers' Institute, Brookings. Tennessee T. H. Paine, Commissioner of Agriculture, Nashville. F. H. Broome, Secretary Agricultural Experiment Station. Knox- ville. Texas J. H. Connell, Director Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station. Utah J. M. Tanner. President Agricultural College, Logan. Vermont C.J. Bell. Secretary State Board of Agriculture, East Hard wick. Virginia G. W. Koiner, Commissioner of Agriculture, Richmond, J. M. McBryde, President Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg. Washington E. A. Bryan, Director Agricultural Experiment Station. Pullman. West Virginia . . . D. M. Silliman, Institute Director, Charleston. Wisconsin G. McKerrow, Superintendent Farmers' Institutes, Madison. o 3 NIVERSITY OF FLORIDA lllllllllllii 3 1262 08927 7684 a ^