452 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



clothinjy hygiene (including the selection of shoes and corsets), and 

 hat making, including selection of material for quality and design. 

 This work has proven very popular and in many sections has been 

 organized with the idea of using local leaders. Representatives of 

 communities are selected and then trained for the entire county by 

 the specialists in simple, practicable methods of garment and hat 

 making. These leaders then go back to their community to give the 

 work to the organized group of women and girls. The success of 

 this work has been largely due to the training of local leaders and to 

 keeping the work along simple, practical lines. 



HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT AND FURNISHING. 



This work was largely along lines of installing inexpensive, labor- 

 saving equipment, usually starting with the kitchen and laundry, 

 and providing running water and sewage disposal. From this, other 

 phases of home improvement have been developed, as money and 

 time were available, among them being home furnishing and decor- 

 ation. 



NEGRO AGENTS' WORK. 



There is probably no line of extension work making more sub- 

 stantial progress than that carried on for the negro farmers in the 

 Southern States, the only section in which this work has yet been 

 systematically organized. In these States there is now a well trained, 

 organized force of negro agents who work with the negro population 

 in those sections most thickly settled by members of their race. It 

 is a notable fact that the best organized and most effective work 

 among the negroes will be found in those States which have de- 

 veloped strong negro agricultural schools. The influences going out 

 from these institutions and the courses of training given the students 

 attending them have proved of wonderful help in the promotion of 

 satisfactory negro extension work. A considerable number of the 

 young men and women turned out from these institutions seem to 

 be specially fitted for the work and have been inspired with a desire 

 for service. They make exceptionally good extension leaders among 

 their })eople. This is especially encouraging, because the greatest 

 need of the negro rural population is wise and safe leadership. 



It is a source of great satisfaction that a very large percentage 

 of the negro agents selected up to date have been able to render a 

 real service to their people in dealing with the various difficult prob- 

 lems that have confronted all the people in the cotton-growing 

 States in recent years. 



There was a substantial increase in the number of negro agents 

 employed during the year. A more important feature, however, 

 than the increase in the number of workers is the marked improve- 

 ment of those already at w^ork and their increased ability to guide 

 and assist their people in the application of better methods in 

 solving many of their problems. 



There are employed at the present time 2 negro field agents, 160 

 men agents (county and supervisory), 107 w^omen agents (county 

 and supervisory), and 9 club agents, making a total of 272 field 

 workers. The work is supported from Federal, State, and county 



