OFFICE OP EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 689 



proper agencies for such education and the immensity of the task 

 involved in reaching the millions of our rural population, to the 

 lack of clearly defined relations between the National and State De- 

 partments of Agriculture, the agricultural colleges, schools, and ex- 

 periment stations, and public and private schools, to the special 

 problems constantly arising in different regions, and to the attempts 

 now being made in many places to organize this work without taking 

 into account the results of experience elsewhere. State and local 

 officials and organizations, voters, and men and women interested in 

 promoting the general welfare of our agricultural communities, are 

 seeking light on the questions involved in the organizations of agri- 

 cultural education. 



For a number of years this office has endeavored to study these 

 problems in a broad way, to collect information from many sources, 

 and to spread abroad throughout the country definite information 

 which would be of use to those who are engaged in the work of 

 diffusing practical education in agriculture in the several States. 

 Our work has been entirely inadequate to meet the situation. 



A part of this work has been done through publications, but much 

 of it requires personal touch with the communities and officers seek- 

 ing our aid. Confining our efforts to giving aid to the State organi- 

 zations and officers charged with the immediate responsibility for 

 promoting this movement, we need a larger and more permanent 

 force than can be maintained with the funds now at our disposal. 

 Our agents for this service should be men and women with broad edu- 

 cational and practical training and with marked ability to present 

 the subject clearly and effectively in publications, addresses, and 

 conferences. Much of their success will depend on their continuance 

 in our service after their ability for broad leadership in this enter- 

 prise has been demonstrated. The amount of money required to 

 .secure and maintain the needed force for such service as is appro- 

 priate for the Department of Agriculture to perform in promoting 

 agricultural education throughout the United States is relatively 

 very small. It is hoped, therefore, that a way will be found to pro- 

 vide such additional funds as will enable our agricultural education 

 service to meet more fully the demands which the States and Terri- 

 tories are making upon it. 



I recommend that at least $10,000 be added to the appropriation 

 for the work of this office in agricultural education for the fiscal 

 year 1912. 



The educational work of the office is divided into two sections, one 

 dealing with agricultural colleges and schools and the other with 

 farmers' institutes and other forms of extension work in asrriculture. 



THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS. 



The State legislation of the past two years and the appropriations 

 made for agricultural education indicate pretty clearly that this 

 country is definitely committed to the development and support of 

 agricultural education in all its different phuses and from the ele- 

 mentary grades up through the college and the graduate school. 

 In some of the States this development is proceeding slowly, but in 

 many more of them progress in this direction is as rapid as local 



23105°— AGB 1911 4-1 



