STATES RELATIONS SERVICE. 469 



As farmers have <xainecl knowledf^e of methods and acquired confi- 

 dence in their ability to do business on a cooperative basis they are 

 beginning to undertake definite business organizations on a county- 

 wide or even State-wide scale for the marketing of their main cash 

 crops, such as cotton, tobacco, peanuts, etc. 



Owing to the cooperative work in cotton grading, classing, and 

 stapling, and information given as to the market value of the various 

 grades and staples by the extension division of Texas in coopera- 

 tion with the Bureau of Markets, it is estimated that between 

 $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 were saved to the cotton farmers of that 

 State alone during the year in increased returns for the cotton 

 graded, classed, and sold in this way. Considerable work of this 

 kind was also done in a tentative way in the other cotton States. 

 The results have been such as encourage most of the States to plan 

 for greatly enlarged pi-ograms of work along this line for the ensu- 

 ing year. 



HOME-DEMONSTRATION WORK AND GIRLS' CLUB WORK. 



Home-demonstration work for women and girls was organized 

 to render to the rural homo a service similar to that which is done for 

 the farm through the county agricultural agent. It is organized as 

 a definite part of the State extension service, and represents the co- 

 operative effort of the State agricultural college and the T"'^nited 

 States Department of Agriculture, and counties and communities. 

 In the majority of the States in the South the home-demonstration 

 division of the extension ser^nce carries the entire extension work for 

 women and girls. The work is organized on much the same basis in 

 all the States. There is a woman in charge of the work in every 

 State. In Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, 

 Georgia, Florida, Mississippi. Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and 

 Arkansas she is practically an assistant director, responsible to the 

 director of extension and in charge of the home-demonstration work 

 for women and girls. 



Organization of rural people, as a result of extension work both 

 in agriculture and in home economics, has been remarkably rapid, 

 the clubs of women and girls often, though not always, representing 

 a community organization. More and more, however, is real com- 

 munity organization developing out of these women's and girls' 

 clubs; men and women, boys and girls being thus brought together 

 for purposes of community betterment or social intercourse and 

 recreation. 



In most counties the home-demonstration agent has a woman's ad- 

 visory conmiittee witli which she confers as to types of work to be 

 carried on. as well as regarding any important problems that may 

 arise. Kural women arc (level()[)ing surprising qualities of leader- 

 ship, and aside from meml)ership in their local clubs, whose meetings 

 they C(mduct in strictly parliamentary style, they are being appointed 

 as members of the conununity as well as county farm and home 

 councils. As sucli they share with the men the responsibility of 

 shaping policies and directing affairs affecting the general improve- 

 ment of their comnninities. 



As organization of rural women jirogresses, community enter- 

 prises are l)eing fo.'-tered more and more. Egg circles are formed 



