REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 143 



This work, at first more or less general in character, has developed 

 into a detailed study not only of methods and practices generally in 

 use, but also a study of farm organization and the coordination of 

 related enterprises on the farm into such a system as will give 

 the greatest return from the farm. Some of the special lines now 

 in operation are as follows: 



FAR:Nr BOOKKEEPING. — Because of the importance of adequate 

 methods of keeping the accounts of the farm a great deal of attention 

 has been given to this subject. The results to date have just been 

 published in Farmers' Bulletin 511, entitled " Farm Bookkeeping." 



Cost accounting. — This is a study of the actual cost of operations 

 on the farm and over 100 farms are now cooperating in keeping the 

 actual time spent in the smallest details of every operation per- 

 formed on the farm. 



Farm-management surateys. — Farm to farm surveys of typical 

 agricultural areas are being made to determine what returns are 

 being received for capital and labor on the average farm of each 

 type. At the present time the records of about 4,000 farms have 

 been gathered, some of which have already been published, while 

 others are being tabulated and prepared for publication. 



Farm equipment. — A detailed study of the equipment of the farm 

 is being made on a large number of farms for the purpose of learn- 

 ing what is an adequate equipment for farms of various types. 



FARM-MANAGEMENT FIELD STUDIES AND DEMONSTRATIONS. 



The result of the investigations of the past few years is that a 

 vast fund of information has accumulated which the farmer needs 

 and which he is entitled to have. The means of getting this informa- 

 tion to the farmer in such a way that everyone may understand it 

 has been the cause of considerable thought on the part of those who 

 have charge of the work. Bulletins have been issued, but for various 

 reasons failed to reach the farmers as effectively as had been hoped. 

 Later, demonstration farms were established with a view to bringing 

 into each community as an object lesson a farm properly equipped 

 and managed. This plan also fell short of what was expected of it. 

 Later, the plan of placing in each county or local area agricultural 

 agents, whose services would be free to every farmer in the locality, 

 has been established and is rapidly developing. The duties of the 

 county agent are as follows : 



To acquaint himself as rapidly as possible with the general agricultural 

 conditions of the locality, study the various types of soils, the crops that have 

 been found to be best adapted, and the types of farming that have been most 

 successful on each type of soil. 



