were held during the winter months. A few were held in the summer, but they were not a great success.

There was quite a development of the educational side of the farmers' institute in its later years. "At the early Farmers' Institutes the speakers merely gave their lectures, while the institute speaker of today is expected to illustrate his lecture, then score exhibits of corn and other grains and conduct a livestock judging demonstration," says the fourth report of farmers' institutes, distributed by the University in 1909. "Ten years ago it is safe to say two-thirds of the institute audiences were present to be amused or entertained but now the halls are filled with men and women anxious to receive new ideas that will help in working out the problem of the farm and of the home."

But the farmers' institute was more than simply a school. It was a one or two-day holiday, in which everybody joined. There was often a corn show, a crop exhibit, or a display of women's domestic products. There was sometimes a stock judging contest. Some features were put on the program for the pure entertainment.

The first farmers' institute school or short course was held at Pawnee City February 10 to 15, 1908. The short course was a farmers' institute usually lasting for a week. There was a definite program of instruction outlined. At this particular short course there was one week's instruction in stock feeding and stock judging and soils and soil problems for the men, and a week's instruction in domestic science for the women. The work in stock feeding and stock judging was in charge of C. W. Pugsley, then of Woodbine, Iowa, the work in soils in charge of Prof. F. J. Alway and Prof. Alvin Keyser, and the work in domestic science in charge of Miss Myrtle Kauffman. Sixty men and an equal number of women and girls registered for the course. "The Farmers' Institute Schools are intended to aid those who are unable to attend the Short Course at the School of Agriculture, the plan being to take the school to the people," a circular stated. The next season a short

course was held at Broken Bow and a short course at Hebron.

Another development was the boys' and girls' institutes. E. C. Bishop, state superintendent of public instruction, had taken an active part in introducing agriculture into the Nebraska schools and in promoting the work of boys' and girls' clubs. Miss Lulu S. Wolford was also one of the pioneers in this work. These boys' and girls' institutes aimed to do for the boys and girls what the regular institutes did for the grown-ups. There were usually contests in various lines of agriculture. Fourteen boys' and girls' institutes were held in 1907-1908. In 1908-1909 there were thirty-three such institutes. This marked the early beginning of boys' and girls' club work in Nebraska.

“The state department of public instruction has assisted the movement by furnishing literature, suggesting plans for organization, also by the personal efforts of members of the department," says the report for 1909. "The University has contributed publications for the promotion of the work, and sent out speakers and judges at the time of the contest. The movement has, by its natural growth, developed in four years' time from a little state contest with 700 boys and girls in attendance, to 33 county contests, with a total attendance of 9,266. The work is naturally developing into a more permanent form; it obtains the interest of every boy and girl because they realize that in the preparation of exhibits for the contest, the growing of the corn and potatoes, the cooking and sewing, they receive personal benefit."

Speakers for a farmers' institute program were usually drawn from three sources, home talent, outside speakers, and speakers from the Agricultural College. Certainly there was always plenty of discussion on the part of the home talent. The department of farmers' institutes built up quite a list of special speakers who from time to time were sent out on the circuit. Among those whose names are to be found on programs of the later years of this period

were Andrew E. Elliott of Galt, Ontario; Prof. C. W. Pugsley, later to become assistant secretary of agriculture; Dr. Samuel Avery, soon to become chancellor of the University; Ex-Governor W. A. Poynter; S. R. McKelvie, later Governor McKelvie; Prof. H. R. Smith; Prof. Lawrence Bruner and M. H. Swenk; H. D. Lute of Paxton, Neb., later secretary of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation; Arnold Martin, who became famous as the twenty-acre farmer of Pawnee County; F. W. Chase of Pawnee County; Leonard S. Herron; W. W. Burr, then of the North Platte Substation; Prof. F. J. Alway; E. P. Brown of Davey; Prof. E. G. Montgomery; Prof. Alvin Keyser; Dr. G. E. Condra; Prof. L. W. Chase; Prof. A. E. Davisson; R. N. Conklin of Hooper; Dr. J. H. Gain; Prof. A. L. Haecker; Erwin Hopt; Obadiah Hull of Alma; E. W. Hunt of Syracuse; B. F. Kingsley of Hastings; C. G. Marshall; Dr. A. T. Peters; R. A. Miller of Ashland; W. P. Snyder of the North Platte Station; and many others. The women were not forgotten either for Miss Myrtle Kauffman, Miss Lulu S. Wolford of Pawnee County, Miss Gertrude Rowan of Lincoln, and Mrs. O. J. Wortman of Ashland found a place on the various programs.

Dean E. A. Burnett, thruout these years of great development, held a prominent place in the institute work. After the resignation of Mr. Taylor in 1899, Professor Burnett became superintendent of farmers' institutes. W. P. Snyder was assistant superintendent from 1903 to 1906. Val Keyser became assistant superintendent September 1, 1906, and a few years later, superintendent.

FINANCES

During this period the resources of the institution greatly improved. There were increased appropriations from both the state and the Federal Government. The outstanding feature probably was the action of the Legislature in 1899 in restoring the original one-mill tax for the support of the University. In the very earliest days of the University