76 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



tation facilities have made important changes in the demand, and 

 hence in prices, of farm products, rendering changes in types of 

 farming desirable and necessary. The problem of tenant farming 

 is pressing for solution. As the older men retire, the young men 

 having largely entered other callings, it becomes necessary to rent 

 the farm. The tenant is usually "without the capital necessary to 

 equip for live-stock farming; he therefore exploits the farm and 

 then moves on to exploit another. This problem must receive atten- 

 tion. Systems of tenant farming must be evolved that will give 

 consideration to the future productiveness of the soil. 



The necessity for important modifications in farm practice and 

 the reorganization of the agriculture of many sections is becoming 

 generally recognized and public interest is being awakened. This 

 is one of the most important phases of the work of this department. 

 An organization has been formed and men have been trained to lead 

 in this work. We are now ready to extend this work. In doing 

 this we propose to cooperate as closely as possible with all those 

 agencies in the several States which are interested in work of this 

 character. 



farmers' C00PERATI\"E DEMONSTRATION WORK. 



The farmers' cooperative demonstration work has been developed 

 into a system for carrying information to the farmer on his own 

 farm. It has as two of its strongest points the carrying on of dem- 

 onstrations in the production of standard crops under the best- 

 known methods on the land of the farmer being instructed and the 

 securing of such active cooperation in the demonstration on the part 

 of the farmer as to bring about the adoption of the method advo- 

 cated. After seven years of experience and development it has grown 

 into a great and successful institution. Not only has it been success- 

 ful in showing the southern cotton farmer how to meet the ravages 

 of the cotton boll weevil, but it has spread abroad through southern 

 agriculture lessons of great value, and rapid strides are being made 

 in that section in diversified farming, the keeping of live stock, and 

 the building up of soil fertility. From the great extent of this work 

 and the years of experience the department has had with it, it may 

 safely be said at this time that when intelligently directed this 

 method of disseminating agricultural knowledge proves successful 

 and secures the allegiance of the educated and progressive farmer as 

 well as the poorer classes and negro tenants. 



One important branch of this work has been the boys' corn club 

 movement. This has attracted much attention, and has served as a 

 means of stimulating general interest in better agriculture in the 

 South and better knowledge of its great agricultural resources. 

 Corn clubs were organized in other States for some years before they 

 were started by this movement in the South, but nowhere have they 



