446 ANNUAL. REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



about 800. These I'ednctions were due in part to the withdrawal of 

 the wuf enuM'<j.('ncy I'uuds, and also to iiicieascfl expense of niain- 

 tainin*;: competent extension a<j^eiits and the diHiculty in finding well- 

 trained men and women willing to untlertake the work for the com- 

 pensation which it was practicable to give. Besides the reductions, 

 numei-ous changes occurred in the personnel of the extension forces, 

 making a very expensive and unsatisfactory overturn. 



To meet the changed conditions of the work the force employed 

 in the Washington olHce and as agents supervising and aiding the 

 work in the held was reduced from 43G employees on June 30, 1919, to 

 290 on June 30, 1920. During the year nearly 100 employees were 

 lost through resignation or transfer, in addition to the temporary 

 employees who were to be dropped. Fully 95 per cent of those who 

 left the service did so either to accept higher salaries at the time 

 or because they considered their chances of advancement better else- 

 where. A considerable number of the most competent technical 

 workers left to receive greatl}" increased salaries. 



CONSOLIDATION OF OFFICE BUSINESS. 



The bringing into one building of all the AVashington force except 

 that of the Office of Home Economics has made it possible to con- 

 solidate much of the routine business in the central office and to 

 introduce a number of economies in the transaction of business. 



WORK IN AID OF THE EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



The Office of Experiment Stations has aided the State stations 

 as far as possible in their efforts to restore their research work, 

 interrupted or weakened by conditions growing out of the war, and 

 to make the most of their resources, now veiy inadequate because of 

 the greath' increased expense of conducting such work. The experi- 

 ment stations maintained bj^ the service in Alaska and the insular 

 possessions have suffered from the loss of investigators and high 

 costs, but have steadily pursued their work and obtained useful 

 results. Special attention has been given to the reorganization and 

 development of the station in the Virgin Islands. 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXTENSION WORK. 



The northern and southern extension offices have concentrated 

 their efforts more largely on aiding the State extension forces in the 

 settlement of the administrative problems relating to the strengthen- 

 ing and further development of the cooperative extension work, la3dng 

 special emphasis on the organization of the county work so that it maj' 

 represent the real requirements of farming people and have their in- 

 telligent cooperation and support. Increased attention has been given 

 to the development of extension methods dealing with the economic 

 problems of agriculture. Special studies have been made of the needs 

 of the farm women in order that the home demonstration work may 

 be made as helpful as possible in lightening their burdens and mak- 

 ing their life on farms more satisfactory and attractive. Efforts 

 have been made to perfect the organization of the boys' and girls' 

 club work as an organic part of a permanent system of extension 



