480 ANNUA!. REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



bureau, and in this organization the interests of the home and women's 

 part in community development have been coordinated with the work 

 in agricultural development. During the year all the States have 

 endeavored to develop community organization by uniting the inter- 

 ests of the men, the women, and the boys and girls in a county pro- 

 gram looking toward the development of agriculture and home mak- 

 ing, more convenient homes, lightened labor, a larger percentage of 

 profits from effort and money expended, and better health and greater 

 contentment of the people. Reports from 29 States show^ that 338 

 counties have been at work on activities of their own selection. Some 

 of the counties which have adopted a program of work are without 

 home-demonstration agents, but the women have organized local com- 

 mittees and appointed local leaders, and, with the assistance of State 

 leaders and specialists at the agricultural colleges, are carrying on 

 home demonstration among themselves until such time as funds may 

 be available for the support of the home-demonstration agents. 



BESULTS. 



The more important lines of work carried on during 1919 included 

 the home production of food, especially through gardening, poultry 

 raising, and butter and cheese making ; food preservation by canning 

 and other means; food selection and meal planning; rural health, 

 hygiene, and sanitation; making and remodeling clothing; home 

 management and beautification ; account keeping and budget mak- 

 ing ; and various community activities. 



In the home production of foods over 31,000 gardens were planted, 

 the produce from which was valued at $422,000; over 3,200 poultry 

 flocks were culled, with a saving in cost of egg production of $103,150, 

 and in this way, as well as by better marketing methods, the farm 

 women's profits"^ from poultry and eggs were increased. In a limited 

 number of communities, where milk could not otherwise be disposed 

 of economically, 103,926 pounds of butter was made, the estimated 

 value of which is reported as $49,707, and 395,718 pounds of cottage 

 cheese was made, increasing the farm women's income $69,035. The 

 total value of fruits and vegetables canned or otherwise preserved 

 was $873,084. The estimated value of meats and meat products 

 canned or otherwise preserved was $317,940. 



The more scientific use of food in the family diet was a feature of 

 home-demonstration work in practically every State in the North and 

 West. Outstanding results of this work were that more and better 

 milk was introduced into the diet and the hot lunch was introduced 

 with decidedly beneficial results into a large number of schools. 

 The simple rudiments of caring for the sick in the home were taught 

 in a number of counties. 



It is estimated that the improved equipment and home conveni- 

 ences introduced as a result of the home-demonstration work during 

 the year resulted in a saving of over a million liours of labor to 

 rural housewives, besides promoting their efficiency, convenience, and 

 comfort in various other ways. The lessons of thrift learned during 

 the war, as well as the high cost of materials and labor, attracted 

 general attention to the subject of making and remodeling clothing 

 and to the use of a budget system in apportioning household expenses. 



