STATES RELATIONS SERVICE. 369 



lioma alone, and velvet beans increased from a small acreaj]^e in 1010 

 to 4,318,000 acres in 1918. The acreage of cotton in 1918, though 

 large, was exceeded three times during the past 10 years. 



The live-stock industry in the South has had a similar experience. 

 The grov.ing of more hay, forage crops, and grain, especiall}^ corn, 

 soy beans, peanuts, oats, and velvet beans, has greatly increased the 

 production of both hogs and cattle. Dairy cows have increased in the 

 Southern States 10 per cent since 1910. Owing to the protracted 

 drought in western Texas and Oklahoma, the actual number of "other 

 cattle *' in the South shows a slight decrease. One-third of all cattle 

 in Texas had to be marketed during 1917 and 1918 to keep them from 

 starving, owing to the most disastrous drought in the history of the 

 western territory. In the sections east of Texas a very large increase 

 is shown. 



The campaign for more hogs, with the effective demonstrations 

 put on by the pig-club boys, has greatly advanced the hog industry in 

 the Southern States. Cooperative carload shipments, fostered by the 

 county agents, had a ver}' distinct eifect in stimulating this industry. 

 Since 1910 the total number of hoc;s in the Southern States has in- 

 creased 31 per cent. Of the 20 highest States in the i:)oint of hog 

 production in the United States, 10 are Southern States. 



DEMONSTRATIONS. 



The corner stone of the county agent work in the South is the 

 actual demonstration conducted by the farmer on his own land with 

 the help of the county agent and specialist. More often than not the 

 demonstration is on a community basis, that is, the farmer conducting 

 the demonstration does so for the purpose of illustrating better 

 practices to himself and to his neighbors. The effect of the demon- 

 stration is often very materially increased by the fact that neighbors 

 are copying the practices on their own farms. The total number of 

 acres in crop demonstrations in 1918 was 3,207,848. The total number 

 of farmers demonstrating was 317,509. 



The largest acreage in demonstrations with one crop was in corn. 

 More than 70,000 demonstrators cultivated a total of 774,449 acres 

 under special instruction, with an average yield of 35 bushels an 

 aci'e, more than doubling the average of the whole territory. 



There was a great increase in the number of wheat demonstrations. 

 In 1917 there were 19.741, while in 1918 there were 50,310 such demon- 

 strations on a total acreage of 317,948, the average yield being 19.7 

 bushels per acre. 



There Avas also an increase in rye and peanut demonstrations. 



Orchards. — There were nearly four times as many demonstrations 

 in orchards in 1918 as in the year before, there being 19,789 demon- 

 strations Avith a total number of 705.690 trees. County agents gave 

 advice and coimsel regarding pruning, spraying, and otherAvise treat- 

 ing 45.716 orchards, involving a total of nearly 5,000,000 trees. 



LiA'E STOCK. — In 1918 the county agents assisted farmers in bring- 

 ing in 4.305 head of horses and mules and, Avith the assistance of 



