74 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



for slaiidnrdizin.c" tlioii' products and llius ])ropnring llic wnj for more 

 advantageous luarketiug' as well as lor more efticient aud eeoiKMiiiral pro- 

 duction. 



RELATION OF THE COUNTY AGRICUI/fURAL AGENTS TO THE OTHER PHASES OF 



THE EXTENSION SYSTEM. 



Bj virtue of bis acquaintance with local conditions and ])eople and 

 with the machiiieiy of organization just describ(!d, the county agricul- 

 tural agent becomes the logical leader and director of all ICxIension work 

 within his county. By his efforts, through the organizations of the 

 county, it is possible to make the most effective use of the time of the 

 si^ecialists of the College, the State and the Federal Government. He is 

 in position to form a complete itinerary of the county that will bring 

 the specialists direct to the problems to be solved. He not only can ar- 

 range the schedule of appointments or meetings, but he is also in posi- 

 tion to announce the coming of the s])ecialists, through all the different 

 channels of communication within the county, and so to bring these op- 

 portunities to the attention of the largest number of people. He becomes 

 a specialist upon the agricultural needs of the county and "can coordin- 

 ate all extension efforts and forces within it in such a way as to make 

 them lead toward the development of the county agricultural program. 



It will therefore be seen that county agricultural work is not a one- 

 man movement but is a sj^stem through which many people within the 

 county cooperate in developing their agriculture and, when necessary, 

 call for the assistance of s])ecialists. 



It is not possible in this report to describe specifically or fully the 

 work that the specialists are doing in cooperation with the agricultural 

 agents, but this is given more in detail in the reports of the specialists. 

 However, it is a pleasure to acknowledge the valuable assistance which 

 they are giving and to state that much that is reported here has been ac- 

 complished with their cooperation. 



SOILS. 



Problems: In all of the counties the soil problems in some of their 

 phases demand much of the time of the agricultural agents. The chief 

 problems as reported by them are: planning drainage systems, providing 

 humus, correcting acidity, growing legumes adapted to the varied con- 

 ditions, demonstrating the profitable use of commercial fertilizers and 

 economical methods of clearing land. 



Soil Surveys, Analyses and Experiments: As a foundation for the 

 solution of the soil problem, a very important project has been under- 

 taken in several counties this year in cooperation with the Department 

 of Soils of the College. A survey has been made to determine the dif- 

 ferent soil types of the county, samples have been taken and analyses 

 made as a basis for establishing lime and fertilizer experiments on these 

 different soil types. In starting the experiments based upon this data 

 the County Farms have been used in some instances. While this pro- 

 ject has not been established long enough to make it possible to know 

 the results, still it is believed that it is in the right direction and that 



