338 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



into territory which could not otherwise be reached. It miiy be said 

 that this tendency is general throughout the region covered by this 

 "work. 



Seed and seed selection. — Through the local agents of the De- 

 partment and local organizations a large quantity of well-selected 

 seed has been distributed. Meetings have been held in a large num- 

 ber of communities for the purpose of drawing special attention to 

 seed selection. Many of these meetings arc held in the field at the 

 time of the maturing of the crop and practical instructions are givea 

 at this time by the agent to the farmers under his immediate super- 

 vision. In territory where there is no good seed the Department has 

 either distributed or assisted in obtaining seed in order to start the 

 growing of prolific types of corn and cotton well adapted to that 

 particular locality. The result of this campaign was such that in the 

 spring of 1910 there was probably the largest planting of selected 

 seed, both corn and cotton, ever known in the South. 



IMPR0^'ED TOOLS. — One of the most striking results of this work has 

 been the great demand for improved implements among the farmers 

 of the South. More horsepower and better tools for preparing the 

 seed bed and the cultivation of the crop has been Doctor Knapp's con- 

 stant advice to the southern farmers, with the result that the demand 

 for two-horse breaking plows, disk plows, section harrows, side har- 

 rows, diverse cultivators, and, in fact, any kind of implements with 

 w^iich level and shallow cultivation can be done has been very great 

 and in some sections beyond the ability of the dealers to supply. 



Boys' clubs. — As previously stated, an increasing interest has been 

 awakened in the boys' demonstration work carried on in cooperation 

 with the public schools. The number of boys directly enrolled, as 

 already referred to, now exceeds 46,000. In the fall of 1909 four 

 winners of state prizes in the South received from private sources, 

 as a part of their reward, a free trip to AVashington, D. C., where 

 they were presented with diplomas by the Secretary of Agriculture 

 as a reward of merit for their good work. This has resulted in a 

 similar prize of a trip to Washington being offered in every Southern 

 State, and great interest has been aroused in these friendly contests 

 in the production of corn. It is also noteworthy that in many places 

 where the farmer can not be reached primarily the Department has 

 been able to reach him by enlisting his boy in the boys' corn clubs. 

 It has been found that one year's experience of the boy in the corn 

 clubs has almost universally resulted in enlisting the father as a 

 demonstrator in better farming the next year, and this is true even 

 where the father had declined to cooperate before his son was enrolled 

 in the boys' contest and had proved the value of the improved methods. 



Publications. — Aside from the large number of orders for Farm- 

 ers' Bulletins of the Department handled through the Office of Farm- 

 ers' Cooperative Demonstration Work, printed instructions to all the 

 farmers and boys under instruction have been prepared and sent out. 

 The number of such circulars distributed during the past year has 

 been upward of 1,250,000. Circular letters of instruction covering 

 special points not covered by the general circulars have also been 

 issued. 



