STATES RELATIONS SERVICE, 441 



These facts would seem to indicate that the extension workers are 

 becoming more interested in county extension organizations as a- 

 means of supplying effective machinery for advancing the local ex- 

 tension program, whatever other jiurpose they may serve as an 

 organization of rural people. 



SUPERVISION. 



The past year witnessed marked progress in the Avork of the State 

 supervisors and assistant State supervisors of county agents. Dur- 

 ing the earlier years of the work, and especially during the period of 

 the war. their work consisted chiefly in organizing new counties and 

 keeping a full quota of agents employed and at work. They are now 

 giving more and more attention to assisting the agents with problems 

 connected with the successful organization and conduct of the work 

 in the counties, as indicated by the number of farmers effectively 

 reached. The most successful supervisors are basing their plans or 

 programs on careful studies or analyses of the work in the counties. 

 When the county needs have been definitely determined, the super- 

 visor then proceeds to make his plans for correcting these needs in so 

 far as possible, either through better organization of the work or 

 the employment of methods that have proven successfid in other 

 counties and in other States. More attention is being given to put- 

 ting the work in the counties on a better business basis, from the 

 standjjoint of complete and accurate records and reports. Agents 

 and supervisors tliroughout the country are recognizing the necessity 

 for better records, both from the standpoint of obligation to the 

 public and more efficient prosecution of the work. 



METHODS. 



Countj'-agent work has now reached the point in its development 

 where leaders and agents are studying the effectiveness of the various 

 methods of organizing and conducting the work. More thought is 

 being given to the use of demonstrations, not for their own sake but 

 as an effective means of influencing the adoption of better farm 

 practices. An effort is being made to try to answer such questions 

 as the following : 



Is the field demonstration more effective than the meeting, circular letter, 

 newspaper article, or other means in successfully accomplishing a desired 

 result? 



How many demonstrations of a particular kind are necessary to effectively 

 cover the entire county or a certain f)ortion of it? 



For h<Av many spasons is it necessary to r-onduct field demonstrations in a 

 particular practice to secure the desired cumulative results? 



So much interest has now been aroused that several institutions 

 are taking steps to learn more definitely the comparative effectiveness 

 of the various means, agencies, or methods that the county agent may 

 employ in carrying on his extension work. 



SOIL IMPROVEMENT. 



A total of 18,039 demonstrations were conducted in the various 

 phases of soil improvement; 3,861 drainage systems were planned 

 and adopted, involving 614,059 acres; 275,012 farmers were given 

 assistance in the proper use of commercial fertilizers; 426,955 acres 

 of clover and other legumes were plowed under for green manure; 



