developing vocational courses in agriculture, in preparing subject matter, and in training teach

ers.

ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. Progress is evidenced in the teaching of agriculture in elementary schools. In a number of States special appropriations had been made for rural schools. Many States now employ a full time State Supervisor for these schools. Consolidation of small rural schools in one central school has contributed a great deal toward solving problems of rural education. In the consolidated schools better facilities are provided for teaching agriculture, as well as other subjects, higher salaries can usually be paid teachers and, as a rule, more competent teachers may be procured. Many of the normal schools are offering special courses for training teachers of agriculture for rural elementary schools. Some of the agricultural high schools are also offering training courses of this kind.

The rural school curriculum is gradually becoming enriched with new material. The subject matter is more attractive to pupils. We are beginning to see that the rural school course of study should be based on what rural people ought to know. The basic subjects taught in the rural school should not differ greatly from those taught in the city school except that they should be made more applicable to farm life.

AGRICULTURAL TRAINING FOR DISABLED ExSERVICE MEN. Pursuant to the law of June 27, 1918, with regard to the formulation of a programme of the Federal government for Vocational Rehabilitation of our disabled soldiers, sailors, and marines, it is encouraging to learn that much has been accomplished in training these men in agricultural as well as in other pursuits. According to the Federal Board for Vocational Education, the number of disabled soldiers reported as having entered some line of agricultural training to June 30, 1920, was 5397, but nearly 1000 men, classified under other headings, might be included as taking agricultural training in connection with training in other lines of study. A large percentage of the agricultural men come from rural communities and are of low educational grade. They are placed in guidance schools in elementary branches in cluding agriculture and, although recorded as prevocational students, it seems safe to estimate that more than 25 per cent of them in prevocational work are agricultural trainees.

The Board had no schools of its own. It utilized during the fiscal year approximately 1700 educational institutions; arrangements had also been made in over 8000 shops, mills, factories, and other business places to train men in and on the job.

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Lack of adequate funds bore heavily on the experiment stations in the United States in 1920. During the six years from 1914 to 1920 their appropriations increased but slightly, in the case of many of them not at all, and the high costs of maintenance made any considerable expansion impossible for the most part. It became evident during the year that if the stations were to fill their proper place and keep pace with the development of institutions for teaching and for agricultural extension work among the farmers, they must receive more ample support. This was shown to be necessary not only that they might continue to grow but

that they might be able to hold their efficient investigators and attract competently trained persons to that field. Toward the close of, the year steps were inaugurated to seek larger appropriations from the Federal government, and many of the States were asked to increase their allotments to the stations.

There were many losses from the working forces of the stations, and in eight States the directorship changed during the year. Several new stations were opened or were provided for.

A

Under authority granted by the Georgia legislature in August, 1918, a station was established during the year at Tifton, the town contributing a tract of 200 acres and $25,000 for buildings, land clearing, and maintenance. deciduous fruit station was established at Mountain View in the Santa Clara Valley, Cal., as a part of the field activities in pomology of the central station, for which the last legislature appropriated $100,000 for the biennium. In Louisiana the legislature provided $10,000 for a fruit and truck experiment station to be located in the trucking region of the State. Local parties have offered to provide the necessary land. The Louisiana Sugar Planters' Association has purchased a tract of land which it has offered to the State for the use of the Louisiana Sugar Station, now located on rented land in a city park. A tract of land near Fresno, Cal., has been set aside for a fig experiment station, to be devoted primarily to experiments in fig culture. The Virginia Truck Station, carried on for some years at Norfolk with contributed funds, has been taken over by the State, the land on which it is located being donated by the local truckers' association and increased appropriation granted by the legislature. The Pennsylvania Institute of Animal Nutrition has received a grant of $5000 from the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in furtherance of its work.

A crop protection institute has been organized as a coöperative undertaking by a group of investigators of plant diseases and insect pests in association with representatives of leading industrial concerns engaged in manufacturing spraying and similar materials for combating crop enemies. The institute was organized with the advice and assistance of the National Research Council. The industrial concerns will provide the means for research in lines approved by the representatives of scientific societies on the institute's board of trustees.

The State of Minas Geraes, Brazil, has determined upon the establishment of an institution for agricultural investigation and teaching, and Prof. P. H. Rolfs, for 15 years director of the Florida Experiment Station, has been appointed to organize and conduct the new institution. An agricultural experiment station has been opened at Haina, San Domingo, with a view to promoting its agricultural interests. Several tracts of land have been accepted by the Cuban Department of Agriculture to be used for establishing breeding stations for horses, mules, cattle, and hogs. The Paraguayan government has ceded to the stockmen's society a tract of land for an experiment station devoted to livestock improvement.

The British Parliament has provided for a large increase in agricultural investigation, voting about £80,000 to the Ministry of Agricul

AGRICULTURAL STATIONS

ture for the maintenance of agricultural research, the bulk of which will be allotted to the various research institutions throughout the country. The war brought home the importance of fundamental research as "the only solid basis of industrial progress" and the necessity of offering sufficiently attractive emoluments to research workers to build up an ade quate service. As a means of recruiting the research service, the Ministry of Agriculture has resumed the research scholarship scheme which was in operation before the war.

The Royal Agricultural Society of England has decided on account of its financial condition and the necessity for retrenchment to discontinue the experimental farm at Woburn on the estate of the Duke of Bedford, which has been under way since 1876. The Woburn experimental fruit farm, also on the estate of the Duke of Bedford and maintained through his benevolence for the past 25 years, has as a result of changed economic conditions been taken charge of by the Ministry of Agriculture and is to be continued on practically the same lines as heretofore. It is being maintained with a grant from the development fund, and has been placed under the supervision of the Rothamsted experimental station. A new laboratory building has been completed at the latter station quite largely with funds contributed by private subscription, and plans are under way for a special building for the use of the new Department of Plant Pathology and Entomology.

The British Ministry of Agriculture has purchased an estate of over 1500 acres of typical heath land in Norfolk, to be used as a national demonstration farm to show what can be done with such land by modern methods. Tobacco growing on a comparatively large scale will be one of the features of the experiment.

An institute for research in animal nutrition has been organized in connection with the University of Aberdeen and the North of Scotland College of Agriculture, under the name of the Rowett Research Institute, in honor of John Quiller Rowett, who contributed £10,000 toward the endowment of £25,000 which it is hoped to raise. The establishment of this in stitute is regarded as an important develop. ment in the field of agricultural research. The matter of agricultural research in the British colonies has been receiving attention and a committee has been appointed to consider whether the staff of the agricultural departments in the Colonial service is adequate and to make recommendation for their strengthening.

An Institute of Nutrition has been established at Amsterdam, Holland, under the leadership of Dr. E. C. van Leersum. Funds for buildings have been contributed from private sources and an appropriation for maintenance has been made by the government. It is reported that the Italian government has provided for the establishment at Bergemo of an experimental farm devoted to improving the culture of maize. The East African Protectorate, in connection with a scheme for the exploration and develop ment of the resources of that country, has provided for a series of equatorial experiment stations, to be located at intervals of 1000 feet in altitude from sea level to 9000 feet.

Experimental work in agriculture and horticulture has been inaugurated on a considerable scale in the University of Nanking, China, in

15 AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORK

cluding the improvement of rice, wheat, and corn, culture experiments with cotton, sericulture work, etc.

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORK. During 1920 the Coöperative Extension Work in agriculture and home economics carried on in all the States by the United States Department of Agriculture and the State agricultural colleges under the Smith-Lever Act of May 8, 1914, and related Federal and State legislation, settled down quite fully to a peace basis. It continued to receive in large measure the active support of the farming people, who evidently have come to consider this system of popular and practical education as a permanent factor in promoting better conditions in agriculture and country life. The high cost of personal service, travel and supplies, together with the inadequate supply of properly trained men and women, prevented expansion of the work, though the available funds were considerably increased as compared with those of the previous year. Special attention was given to marketing and other economic matters but problems connected with agricultural production, farm machinery and buildings, plant and animal diseases, farm and home sanitation, food and diet (particularly of children), clothing, home equipment and management also received much attention.

Special attention was given to the work among the farm women in order that it might be established on a permanent basis and meet the real needs of the rural homes. This was necessary because much of the work with women during the war had been distinctly of an emer gency character, relating very largely to the conservation of food and the use of unusual foodstuffs. This work had been maintained so largely with emergency funds that when those were withdrawn many of the communities in which it had been established regarded it as wholly a war service and were therefore either unprepared or unwilling to contribute the funds necessary to the continuance of the home demonstration agents. This was particularly true in the Northern and Western States where for the most part such agents had only been employed as a war measure. In the Southern States where the demonstration work for women and girls had been going on much longer there was general recognition of its value as a permanent extension service. There a large number of the home demonstration agents were continued and only financial inability prevented their continuance in the counties from which they were withdrawn.

To get information concerning the actual status of the farm homes as a basis for the further development of the extension work in home economics, a survey was made of about 10,000 homes in the 33 Northern and Western States. These included a great variety of homes in typical farming communities in a large number of counties. The results of this survey were published by the Department of Agriculture. They show, for example, that the average working day of the farm women is 11 hours and that most of them have no regular vacations. The average farmhouse has eight rooms and is equipped with one or two stoves in addition to the kitchen range. About half the women have to carry into the house the coal or wood to feed these stoves and also keep the fires burning during the day. Even this equip.

ment does not keep the whole house warm as is usual in city houses. About one-third of the homes have running water in at least one room, but only one-fifth have bathtubs. More than one-third of the women have to carry water from wells outside the house. Quite generally the care of kerosene lamps is one of the duties of the farm women. Out-door toilets are used on 85 per cent of the farms. Nearly all the houses are screened. About half of the women have washing machines and carpet sweep ers. Over 90 per cent do their own washing, sewing, and bread-making. The sewing machine is used in most of the farmhouses. Only 15 per cent have power for running machinery in the house, though power is used for farm machinery on nearly half the farms. Of the women reporting, 36 per cent help with the milking, 25 per cent with the livestock, 81 per cent care for chickens, 56 per cent largely care for the garden, 24 per cent help in the field an average of 6-7 weeks during the year, and 33 per cent make butter to sell. Only 11 per cent of those selling butter and 16 per cent of those selling eggs have the money for their own use. Nearly one-third are keeping home and farm accounts. The farm women are now unable in most cases to have hired help. Only about 14 per cent employ such help and then only for about onethird of the time.

The comparative isolation of the farm home is shown by its being on the average about six miles distant from the high school, three, miles from the church, five miles from the market, five and one-half miles from the doctor, 12 miles from the trained nurse and 14 miles from the hospital. This is overcome to a considerable extent by the use of the telephone in 72 per cent of the homes and of the automobile on 62 per cent of the farms.

This survey indicates that the outstanding problems which the extension service for farm women should deal with are: (1) Shortening the working day of the average farm woman, (2) lessening the amount of heavy manual labor she now performs, (3) bringing about higher standards of comfort and beauty for the farm home, (4) safeguarding the health of the farm family, and especially the health of the mother and growing child, and (5) developing and introducing money-yielding home industries where necessary in order to make needed home improvements. To solve these problems immediate efforts should be made: (1) to introduce improved home equipment, especially running water and power machinery and more efficient methods of household management, including rearrangement of kitchens and installation of better heating systems; (2) to help farm people to understand and apply the laws of nutrition and hygiene, through demonstrations in child care and feeding, food selection for the family, home nursing, and the installation of sanitary improvements; (3) to show farmers and their families that investments promoting the comfort, beauty, health and efficiency of the farm home are wise and productive expenditures and very likely the only means of keeping the young people on the farms.

The movement for the more complete organization of the farming people to support the cooperative extension work and to promote the economic and social interest of agriculture and country life continued in 1920 with increasing

strength. The national organization of farm bureaus, entitled the American Farm Bureau Federation, perfected a permanent organization at Chicago in March and held its second annual meeting at Indianapolis in December. At this meeting 32 State Federations of Farm Bureaus were represented by 65 voting delegates. In 13 other States county farm bureaus have been organized to a greater or less extent and in a number of these States federations are being formed. About 1,500,000 members are enrolled in the county farm bureaus. Women are being more generally welcomed to membership in the farm bureaus and already have representation in State and National federations. In some counties boys and girls may also be members of the farm bureau or through their clubs are closely affiliated with it.

As regards commercial activities the general policy of these organizations is now to commit such activities to separate organizations specially formed for such purposes. The farm bureaus are thus becoming organizations in the field of agriculture analagous to chambers of commerce in their relations to other industries.

In 1920 the American Farm Bureau Federation was largely engaged in organizing and strengthening the county farm bureaus. It also dealt with a number of legislative matters pending in Congress. A study of the problems connected with the transportation of agricultural products was undertaken. A conference of representatives of a number of agricultural organizations led to the appointment of a committee of seventeen members to consider and report on the marketing of grain. Similar committees on the marketing of livestock and vegetable crops are being formed. A bureau of farm economics and statistics was established and cooperation with the Bureau of Crop Estimates and Markets of the Department of Agriculture was begun. A special committee undertook the study of tax problems as related to agriculture. In these and other ways the Federation is attempting to investigate the broad national questions relating to agriculture and country life and to interpret the results of similar studies by governmental agencies to the farmers throughout the United States. The main office of the National Federation was located in Chicago, with a branch office in Washington. Mr. J. R. Howard of Iowa was reëlected president of the Federation at the Indianapolis meeting.

During 1920 agricultural agents were employed in the cooperative extension work in about 2000 counties, home demonstration agents in about 800 counties, and paid leaders of boys' and girls' club work in about 300 counties. There were also about 750 extension specialists in the various branches of agriculture and home economics who went out from the agricultural colleges to supplement the work of the county agents. Including the supervisory officers and their assistants, about 5000 persons were engaged in extension work.

In 1919 in the 15 Southern States 246,982 adult farmers conducted demonstrations under the supervision of the county agents on 2,664,723 acres. The largest acreage was with corn, 645,716 acres, with an average yield of 37 bushels per acre, or more than double the average yield of the whole territory. The county agents were especially active in helping to introduce improved livestock and secure the adopting of bet

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORK

ter methods of feeding, care and protection against diseases and pests. Tick eradication was greatly promoted and assistance given in stock ing counties released from quarantine with improved cattle. The great growth of cooperative marketing and purchasing in the South has been one of the most marked results of extension work. County agents, assisted by marketing specialists, through demonstrations and by instruction and advice aided local and county associations of farmers in the coöperative selling of all kinds of farm produce and livestock and in the coöperative purchasing of a great variety of farm necessities. The Bureau of Markets and State Department of Agriculture coöperated with the extension division of the agricultural colleges in this activity. The value of the products cooperatively purchased or sold through the coöperative efforts during 1919 was $34,534.886, representing a saving to the farmers of $4,547,418 or 13 per cent. In Texas alone cooperative work in cotton grading, classing and stapling together with the information given by extension agencies as to the market value of various grades and staples, gave the farmers increased returns aggregating more than $1,000,000.

Increased interest was manifested in extension work among the negro population both by the white agents and also by a special force of about 150 negro agents employed in counties with a large negro population. This work was more thoroughly organized and provision was made for its general supervision by two field agents attached to the Washington office. Three conferences of both the white and negro State and Federal leaders were held during the year which resulted in a better understanding of the importance and needs of this work and much encouragement to the workers. The negro agents have not only aided their people along agricultural lines but have also helped to quiet unrest among them due to unwise agitation on economic and social matters.

In the Northern and Western States the county agents made 510,000 farm visits and 1,412,200 farmers called at the agents' offices. They held 81,156 meetings which were attended by 3,580,000 people. About 65,000 demonstra tions incident to crop and livestock production were conducted on farms, with a resulting profit due to increased production of over $19,000,000. Under direction of the agents 216,000 farmers selected the seed corn planted on 7,000,000 acres, 187,000 treated seed wheat or oats for smut. Practice relative to various crops was modified on over 130,000 farms; registered sires were secured for 40,000 farms; 163,000 animals were tested for tuberculosis; 400,000 cattle were treated for blackleg, and farmers and veterinarians vaccinated 1,372,000 hogs for cholera; 853 live-stock breeders' associations with a membership of 28,396 were organized; many live-stock shipping associations were organized and numerous auction sales of live stock were successfully conducted. The irrigation and drainage work planned and promoted by the county agents added to the tillable land of the country an area as large as the State of Connecticut. Over 30,000 farmers kept records of their business on forms furnished by the farm management demonstrators. The value of the coöperative business of farmers' exchanges and cooperative associations organized with the aid of the county agents Y-B-20-2

17 AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORK amounted to over $40,000,000 with a saving of about $5,500,000. These organizations also furnished to farmers 118,891 laborers. Much attention was given to the formation of community groups within the counties. This led in many cases to the working out of definite programmes of agricultural improvement by the farm people themselves and the development of local leaders to carry out those programmes with the assistance of the extension agents.

was

The work of the county women agents, commonly called "home demonstration agents," while retaining many features of the war-time work relating to food production and conservation, was materially broadened on matters relating to diet, clothing, health, sanitation, household equipment and management, and the social interests of the rural communities. Rural women are thus developing qualities of leadership and aside from membership in local clubs are taking active part along with the men in community groups and county farm bureaus or councils. In 1919 there were in the Southern States 20,323 clubs of rural girls and women, with an enrolment of about 500,000, including nearly 2000 clubs for negro women and girls with a membership of 72,000. Much attention given to home gardening and poultry work, and the canning of the products for sale or home The food, including fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish, canned or otherwise preserved, had an estimated value of over $12,000,000. Many egg circles were organized and the members taught to grade and pack their eggs and market them coöperatively. Connected such enterprises were the development of community canneries, drying plants, curb markets, rest rooms, etc. The agents also assisted in the planning or remodeling of farmhouses, rearranging of kitchens to save labor, installing of water, heating and lighting systems; introduction of home-made and purchased laborsaving devices, and beautification of the home and adjacent grounds.

use.

with

In the Northern and Western States much the same kinds of work were done by the home demonstration agents. Owing to the high cost of many things used in the rural home and the lack of complete help for domestic work different phases of home management were given much attention. Instruction regarding the making of family budgets and the keeping of home and farm accounts by the women was received with much interest. The rearrangement of kitchens and the introduction of labor saving devices were things accomplished in an increased number of farm homes. Women gave more attention to gardens, poultry and egg production and beekeeping as means of increasing the family income. Canning as a home industry was also more widely developed. Better child feeding and the more general use of milk and its products in the farmhouse were actively promoted by the home demonstration agents. Home nursing, personal hygiene, and sanitation programmes were more numerous, often with the cooperation of health officers, county nurses and welfare organizations. In several counties in Massachusetts dental clinics in isolated rural communities were held under the auspices of the farm bureaus. In the work relating to the making, repair and conservation of clothing a notable feature was the increased use of the

skill and experience of local leaders. Community enterprises, including among other things cooperative laundries, salvage shops, recreation centres, circulating libraries, magazine circles, clean-up campaigns, improvement of church and school buildings and grounds, were fostered in large measure by the home demonstration agents. Sixty-eight coöperative buying and selling associations, with a membership of about 13,000, were formed in 1919.

In the Northern and Western States 310,115 boys and girls were enrolled in 16,395 clubs and carried on a variety of practical work in gardening, canning, growing corn, potatoes, beans, sugar beets, sorghums, pigs, poultry, sheep, baby-beef, rabbits, and making bread, clothes, etc. Much progress was made in organizing and conducting these clubs on a community basis and fitting their work into the programme adopted by the farm bureaus for the extension work with adults. In addition to the supervision given by the paid State and county club leaders, over 10,000 voluntary community leaders had direct charge of clubs. Farmers and business men are increasingly looking to boys' and girls' club work as the medium through which better practices in farming and homemaking may be secured and trained rural leadership developed.

In the Southern States large numbers of girls worked with the women in a variety of projects relating to agricultural production, canning and different phases of home-making, but about 160,000 boys had separate clubs. The total production of these clubs, including those for negro boys, was valued at $8,000,000. The average yield of corn grown by club members was 48 bushels per acre, as compared with the general average of 21 bushels in the Southern States.

Interest in the club work throughout the country by exhibits of club products and competitive contests by club teams at local, county, State and interstate fairs, encampments, short courses at agricultural colleges, observation trips to different parts of the country, etc.

Extension specialists representing various branches of agriculture and home economics with headquarters at the agricultural colleges were increased in number and their work was more thoroughly organized. They assisted the county agents in handling unusual problems, such as the growing of special crops, improvement of live stock, control of diseases and insect pests of plants and animals, dairying, poultry, marketing, keeping of farm accounts, organizations of cooperative associations, instruction demonstrations in food and nutrition, clothing, home hygiene and sanitation, household equip ment and management, etc. They also aided in the shaping up of the county and State programmes of extension work, prepared numerous publications, answered inquiries, and gave instruction and demonstrations at numerous movable schools, farmers' institutes, and other meetings.

and

Extension work in Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico and Guam continued to be carried on through the Federal experiment stations. Settlers coming into the Tanana and Matamuska Valleys in Alaska have been aided in establishing their agricultural operations on the basis of the experience gained by the experiment stations. Distribution of suitable varieties of seeds to various parts of Alaska was also continued.

Extension agents, permanently located on the islands of Hawaii and Mani continued demonstration work with crops and fertilizers and began to organize boys' and girls' clubs and home demonstration work. In Porto Rico meetings of farmers were held throughout the island, information was disseminated through monthly circulars, demonstrations of dipping cattle to eradicate fever ticks were made, and coöperation of fruit growers was stimulated. In Guam 145 farmers conducted demonstrations with cowpeas, teachers throughout the island were aided in maintaining school gardens, 545 boys and girls were enrolled in clubs, conducted home projects with crops and animals, and made numerous exhibits at an agricultural fair.

Extension work was systematically conducted in Canada, France, Belgium, Spain, India, Burma, and Gold Coast Africa.

In England work was carried on through farmers' institutes, farm schools, local lectures and demonstrations conducted by a county agricultural staff or otherwise. Instruction in cheesemaking was given at several hundred centres through courses for from two to four weeks. Over 700 women's institutes were held in England, Scotland, and Wales.

In Italy about 275 itinerant teachers gave instruction in agricultural subjects, including plant and animal production, silkworm and mulberry culture, cheese-making, plant diseases, use of tractors and other farm machinery. The funds for extension work were provided by the government, provinces, and local organizations.

Over 4500 Farmers' Institutes were held in 35 States by the colleges of agriculture, or State Departments of Agriculture, with an attendance of 1,268,000. Many similar meetings were held by the colleges as part of their agricultural extension work.

The general interests of the coöperative extension work throughout the United States continued to be promoted by two extension offices in the States Relations Service of the Department of Agriculture. The work in each State was administered by an Extension Director, with headquarters at the Agricultural College, who was a joint representative of the Department and the College. Under the Director were State Leaders of county agricultural agents, home demonstration agents and boys' and girls' club work.

For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1920, the total fund available for extension work in the States was about $16,836,000. Of this about $1,025,000 was derived from direct appropriations to the States Relations Service, $175,000 to other bureaus of the Department of Agriculture, $3,580,000 from the Smith-Lever Act, and $1,500,000 from the supplementary Federal fund, making the total Federal contribution $6,280,000. This was met by approximately $10,536,000 from sources within the States, including $4,600,000 to offset the regular and supplementary Smith-Lever funds, $1,618,000 additional State and college funds, $3,727,000 from counties, and $610,000 from farm bureaus and miscellaneous sources. About $8,460,000 was used for the demonstrations and other activities of the county agricultural agents. Much of their work bore on problems of the farm home, but $3,145,000 was allotted to distinctive work in home economics. About $1,100,000 was used for work among boys and girls, about $2,918,000 for the tasks of the specialists,