STATES RELATIONS SERVICE. 349 



19,829 acres, were established by farmers under the direction oi- on 

 the advice of the agents. In addition, 17,093 tons of chemical ferti- 

 lizers were used at the suggestion of the agents, and 5,656 tons of 

 chemical fertilizers were home-mixed and used at the suggestion of 

 the county agents. Forty-two thousand two hundred and seventy 

 acres of hay and pasture land were top-dressed, and 33,509 acres of 

 legumes were plowed under at the suggestion of the agents. Five 

 hundred and eighty-eight demonstrations, involving 20.214 acres, 

 were conducted where records were kept of the increased yield in the 

 soil-improvement work. These demonstrations gave a total in- 

 creased value of $218,182.93, or an average increase of $10.79 per acre. 

 Liming. — The correction of soil acidity by liming has been an im- 

 portant phase of soil-improvement work. Soils were tested for 

 acidity on 10,638 farms, 268 sources of local lime deposits were de- 

 veloped, and a total of 210,987 tons of lime were used as a result of 

 the agents' work. Five thousand six hundred acres in 351 liming 

 demonstrations gave a net increased value of the crops grown of 

 $46,306.25, or an average increase of $8.26 per acre. 



Work in Relation to Farm Bitsiness. 



Organization. — One of the most important phases of county-agent 

 work during the year was the assistance rendered farmers in or- 

 ganizing to do their own marketing and purchasing. Business or- 

 ganizations to the number of 417 were started as a result of the 

 county-agent work. These did a total business of $5,678,991.97, effect- 

 ing an approximate saving of $598,560 for their members. 



Farm-management demonstrations. — Another important phase 

 of the county-agent work was the farm-management demonstration. 

 Three thousand nine hundred and eighty-eight records were taken 

 by the agents, and 4,739 records of this and previous years' work 

 were returned to the farmers by the agents. One thousand three 

 hundred and ninety-one farmers have reported a change in their 

 system of farming as a result of these demonstrations. Eight thou- 

 sand three hundred and thirty-seven farmers were assisted in keep- 

 ing farm accounts. 



County Farm Bureaus. 



One of the most encouraging features of the year's work was the 

 development in the local organizations cooperating in county-agent 

 Avork. Such organizations give the necessary local support for the 

 best work of the agents. There are now 374 farm bureaus in the 

 Northern and Western States, with a membership of 98,654. Many 

 States now make the organization of a farm bureau a prerequisite 

 for the appointment of an agent. 



Projecting County-Agent Work. 



In furthering their work the agents made 221,654 farm visits, re- 

 ceived 246,227 office calls from farmers, and wrote 436,496 letters. 

 They prepared 18,818 articles for the local press and mailed cir- 

 cular letters to the number of 1,791,291. They assisted in 2,388 

 extension schools in their counties, with a total enrollment of 357.807. 

 They planned and conducted 900 observation trips, with an attend- 



