Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-08-14
FARMERS INSTITUTES.
Methods of Organizing and Conducting
These Instructive Meetings.

ThIee thousand dollars is annually
appropriated by the Maine legislature
for the purpose of holding two or moro
institutes III each county. Forty or 90
meetings are usually held each year to-
| gether with state dairy conference and
joint meeting with the State Pomo-
logical society. The work is in charge
Of the secretary of the state board of
agriculture. Speakers are selected by
the secretary upon consultation with the
members. Interest in farmers institutes
is growing and much good is being done
by them. Some new departures are pro-
posed for the coming year. One is to
hold an orchard field day in one of the
largest orchards Of the state for the
purpose of discussing questions related
to fruit growing. Another is the hold
ing of field day some time in August.
1t may be called farmers congress.
This will be held in connection with
the state grange.
New Hampshirc's board of agricul-
turc holds frequent institutes, but the
system is far from what it should be.
Vermont institute work is under the
control of the state agricultural board.
This board receives -, 600 annually and
is required to hold at least one insti-
tute in each county and as many moro
as possible Interest is increasing and
a good work is being done.
In Connecticut There is no special an
preparation made for institute work
The money given to the state board Of
agriculture is expended at its discretion
III promoting agricultural interests.
Twelve on more one day institutes are
held during the year and one three days
conventions The speakers are usually
drawn from the two state experiment.
stations Besides these meetings the
dairy association holds three or four
days convention annually.
The fund for holding institutes in
New York state is direct appropria-
ton of S15, goo each year by the lcgis-
lature. The meetings are located on ap-
pllcation from oranges, farmers CLUBS,
etc, to the director, who is appointed
by the commissioner Of agriculture to
arrange for meetings and employ speak
ers. The speakers are principally prac-
teal farmers who have been studying
advanced methods Of agriculture. Helm
is also received from the professors at
Cornell university and the New York
experiment station at Geneva. Summer
meetings are principally gatherings of
farmers clubs, grange picnics and meet
lngs of that sort During the past sea-
son about $50 institutes were held.
In New Jersey institute work is I'M
der the direction Of the state board of
agriculture The secretary arranges for
meetings, engages speakers, etc. There
is no special institute law. but workers
adapt themselves to the existing condi-
tons. There are several county boards
of agriculture auxiliary to the state
board which hold meetings Of their
own. The regular institutes are extra.
The first institutes held in Pcnnsvl-
vania were under the control Of the
state board of agriculture The lcgisla-
turc at its session III the winter Of 1895
organized department Of agriculture
for the commonwealth and consolidated
the various divisions of the work into
single department. The institute work
was placed in charge Of the deputy Sec
rotary of agriculture, who was to be also
director of institutes.
There is no institute system at pres
ent i'll Delaware, although work of
this kind is contemplated. The forcgo- |
ing facts are CLEANED from Tho New |
England Homcstead's reports on farm
ers' institutes.