REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE/ 37 



agent. There are now 2,000 agricultural agents and 800 home 

 demonstration agents, in addition to 300 county leaders of boys' 

 and girls' club work. Perhaps the most striking evidence that farmers 

 are heartily supporting the extension service is found in the fact that 

 this year the contributions from county sources alone aggregate 

 $4,780,000, compared with $780,000 in 1914. 



There are still 650 rural counties which have no agricultural agents, 

 1,800 are without home demonstration agents, and only a small j^io- 

 portion of the farm boys and girls are being reached through the 

 club work. The desirability of completing this great system of prac- 

 tical education as rapidly as conditions warrant can not be questioned. 

 There has been a great increase in the cost of travel, supplies, and, 

 in fact, of everything required in the operation of the system, since 

 the Smith-Lever Act was passed, and an increase of available funds 

 each year for a number of years will be necessary if we are to reach 

 the goal within a reasonable time. 



WORK IN BEHALF OF FARM WOMEN. 



With the spread of extension work among farm women, it has be- 

 come increasingly necessary to have definite information regarding 

 their needs and wishes, in order that the extension forces may co- 

 operate effectively with them. The States Relations Service, there- 

 fore, undertook to make a survey, through the home demonstration 

 agents, of 10,000 farm homes in the northern and western States. 

 The results of the survey have been compiled and published. In brief, 

 they show that, while there has been considerable progress in lighten- 

 ing the burdens of farm women and making the farm home life more 

 satisfactory and attractive, through the introduction of labor-saving 

 devices, improvement of farm sanitation, free mail delivery, tele- 

 phones, automobiles, and the like, very much more needs to be done 

 before the mass of farm women will have even the advantages now 

 possessed by a limited number. 



Wherever it has been in operation, the system of county home 

 demonstration agents has proved to be the most helpful agency 

 dealing with the problems of the farm home. It should be expanded, 

 therefore, as rapidly as funds and facilities permit. Country life 

 has many advantages, but they can not be sufficiently enjoyed with- 

 out constant improvement in the living arrangements on the farms. 

 We can not afford to delay bringing assistance to the farm women 

 in solving their present pressing problems. 



HOME ECONOMICS. 



In order that the home demonstration agents may render the most 

 effective service, there must be a constant addition to the fund of 

 scientifically ascertained and tested knowledge in the field of home 



