LETTERS OF TRANSMITTAL. W. E. STONE, PH. D., President Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.: Sir-In behalf of the General Committee on Farmers' Institutes, I respectfully submit herewith a brief report of the Farmers' Institute work for the year ending September 30, 1907. The Institute Act of 1907, the policy of the general committee under the new law, and the several circulars of information and suggestion sent out to the local Farmers' Institute officers for their guidance under the new regime, are fully set forth in the body of the report. The program and a brief account of the proceedings of the tenth annual conference of officers and speakers and second normal institute, held in October, 1907, and the schedule of Farmers' Institutes for the winter season of 1907-08 are also included in the report. Very respectfully yours, W. C. LATTA, Superintendent Farmers' Institutes. Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind., November 7, 1907. LAFAYETTE, IND., November 8, 1907. HONORABLE J. FRANK HANLY, Governor of Indiana, Indianapolis, Ind.: Dear Sir--I have the honor to transmit herewith the annual report of the Superintendent of Farmer's Institutes, in accordance with the act of the legislature of 1889, amended March, 1901. Respectfully yours, W. E. STONE, President Purdue University. INDIANA FARMERS' INSTITUTES. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT The schedule of Farmers' Institutes for 1906-07 was published and sent out to the local associations in October, 1906. The ninth annual conference of Farmers' Institute workers and First Normal Institute was held at Purdue University early in November, 1906. The proceedings of this gathering were published in the report of the superintendent for 1905-06. The active work of holding the Winter Institutes began November 15, 1906, and closed February 28, 1907. Early in March, 1907, plans for the work of the succeeding year were formulated in the office of the superintendent and published and sent out the first of April. In the early summer of 1907, a series of Summer Institutes, designed especially for the farmers' wives and children, was arranged for the months of June, July, August and September, 1907. Early in October, 1907, the list of speakers and schedule of Institutes for 1907-08 was published and sent out to the Institute officers and speakers. Domestic Science was a prominent feature of the instruction at both winter and summer Institutes. At a considerable number of the Winter Institutes special sessions were arranged for boys and girls. Competitions and contests of various kinds for the young people were important features of a number of the winter meetings. Through the co-operation of the county superintendents of schools and school teachers with the County Institute Associations the special work for boys and girls proved highly successful in several counties. The General Assembly of 1907 enacted a law, approved 1 March 9th, making provision for enlarging the scope of the Farmers' Institute work and for meeting the local expenses of the County Institute Associations. This law will prove of great benefit when the provisions of its several sections become operative. The prominent features of the work of the past year are referred to under appropriate headings in the body of this report. Two hundred and fifty-four meetings were scheduled for the season of 1906-07. Nine of these meetings failed to materialize for want of timely local co-operation, but in addition to those named in the schedule, extra Institutes were held as follows: The total number of winter meetings held was 273, two being three-day, 141 two-day and 130 one-day Institutes. In the case of the three-day meetings, the first or last day was held independently of State aid. The total number of days of Winter Farmers' Institutes was 418 and the total number of sessions 980. |