FARMERS^ INSTITUTES AND EXTENSION WORK. 365 



(5) Investigations in connection with the transportation companies, particularly 



with reference to the organization and conducting of agricultural education 

 trains; the use of expert itinerant advisers and demonstration farms. 



(6) Public libraries: 



(a) To secure a systematic method of supplying agricultural people with 

 literature from the State and county libraries. 



(7) The preparation of agricultural charts for extension teachers. 



(8) The preparation of sets of illustrated lectures for extension workers. 



(9) Conducting investigations into the condition of agricultural education in foreign 



countries, particularly as respects its extension features. 



(10) The preparation of courses of study for movable and correspondence schools of 



agriculture and domestic science. 



(11) Cooperation with the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and 



Exi^eriment Stations in investigations into the extent, character, and most 

 efficient forms of extension activity. 



(12) Cooperation with the American Association of Farmers' Institute Workers in 



the preparation of programs for the annual meetings of the association, and the 

 editing, publishing, and distributing of the proceedings. 



(13) Collecting illustrative material for a library of illustration in agricultural 



subjects for use by extension workers. 



(14) Lecturing before farmers' institute assem lilies and other educational organiza- 



tions. 



(15) Conducting the correspondence of the office. 



In many of these directions investigations, some preliminary and 

 others quite complete, have been made by the office and the results 

 published, together with recoinmendations and plans for the improve- 

 ment of the work in these several lines of extension effort. 



There are now needed additional investigations respecting the 

 details of some of these branches of extension activity, and a line of 

 demonstrations in each showing the practicability and value of the 

 plans recommended. Public interest in the work is developing so 

 rapidly that there is danger that wrong methods may be adopted and 

 consequent failures result, to the great injury of the extension move- 

 ment. If demonstration movable schools, correspondence courses, 

 methods for conducting agricultural fairs, education trains, and 

 similar efforts could be formulated and operated by the department, 

 much useless experimenting in these directions by the States would 

 be avoided and valuable time be gained in securing the adoption of 

 approved forms of activity by the extension workers of the country. 



To conduct such demonstrations only men of experience and tested 

 skill should be employed, thereby insuring that the preliminary 

 demonstrations will be under the best possible conditions, and that 

 defects in the systems will immediately be recognized and corrected. 

 By conducting such demonstrations in all of the States those in 

 charge of these respective lines of work would have opportunity to 

 witness the methods pursued and the success achieved, and be 

 prepared to take up the work and conduct it without continued 

 assistance from this department, except in the way of advice and 



