440 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



and the help it affords in solvino; rural home problems, they are 

 p:ivin<2; it increased support. The future development of this phase 

 of the Avork on anything like a parity with the agricultural work is 

 dependent primarily on this increasing interest of the rural women, 

 as well as on increased financial support from public sources. 



The boys' and girls' club work has maintained its popularity with 

 the people and is being increasingly recognized as one of the most 

 efficient agencies in demonstrating the value of improved practices 

 in agriculture and home economics, though there has been no in- 

 crease in funds in this project and a decrease of nearly 50 in the 

 number of people giving their whole time to the work. On the 

 other hand, many of the count}' agricultural agents and home- 

 demonstration agents, who have heretofore not undertaken club 

 worlv along with their other duties, have been encouraged to develop 

 this phase of their work so that the total results in club work for 

 the year are comparable with those of other years. 



Eesults secured in the work of the county agricultural agents, 

 home-demonstration agents, and boys' and girls' club agents, and in 

 certain phases of specialist work are given below. 



COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AGENT WORK. 



The number of county agricultural agents on June 30, 1922, was 

 2,086, an increase of 12 over the corresponding period in 1921. It is 

 significant that during a year of severe agricultural depression the 

 number of county agricultural agents not only held its own but 

 increased slightly. The loss of local appropriations in a few coun- 

 ties wdiere the work has been conducted for several years was more 

 than offset by the addition of new counties. With the return of 

 better farm prices, it is believed that most of the counties which have 

 discontinued county-agent work during the past year will again 

 provide the necessary local support. In addition to the county 

 agents there were also employed 48 assistant agents and 154 State 

 supervisors and assistant supervisors. One hundred and forty-five 

 local negro agents were employed to work with farmers of their 

 race. 



ORGANIZATION. 



Experience has conclusively proven that the county agents can ac- 

 complish more and better work by working through organized groups 

 rather tlian by doing personal-service work. While considerable 

 work with individuals is still necessary, this is being gradually re- 

 duced and more emphasis placed on organized work. Of the 2,086 

 coimties having organized extension work, 1,735 reported some kind 

 of a coimty organization of farming people assisting in the prosecu- 

 tion of extension work; 20.232 communities were organized ta coop- 

 erate in the local conduct of the work; and 77,518 county and com- 

 munity leaders actively participated in forwarding the county and 

 commimity programs of work. Continuous progress is being made 

 in truing up programs of work with census data and other available 

 information in order that they may the more nearly correspond to 

 local needs over a period of years. Marked progress is also being 

 made in bringing about greater definiteness in these programs. 



