212 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



of tiK' i'uiuls was raised in lliis way and the otlici- half was appropiialed 

 hy (lie Hoard of Supervisors. However, tlui indications now are tliat in 

 all fonr of these counties tlie larj^cr portion of tiie county's share of the 

 funds will soon be a]>propriated thronf^h the county j;()vernnieut. Farm 

 Bureau membership fees and subscriptions continue to form an import- 

 ant supi)]emental fund and are particularly valuable in securing a per- 

 sonal interest in the work. 



PLANNING OF WORK AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE. 



One of the most important features of the year's work was the Con- 

 ference held at the College November 20-24, 1916. The main purpose of 

 this Conference was the formulation of plans and methods for 191T. In 

 order that there might be as much time as possible for the consideration 

 of these plans and methods, there were appointed bj^ the State Leader, 

 two weeks in advance of the Conference, twenty-two committees com- 

 posed of members of the College faculty. Extension Specialists and 

 County Agricultural Agents, to outline the different projects for discus- 

 sion. As a result much valuable work had been done before the Confer- 

 ence assembled. 



There were eleven sessions of the Conference, beginning Monday aft- 

 ernoon and closing Friday noon. The first day was set apart for the 

 meetings of the committees, especially of those whose reports came early 

 in the week. The results of this plan were ver}^ satisfactory. The re- 

 ports of the committees brought the probleuLS and plans before the Con- 

 ference in a clearly stated and <lefinite form for discussion. There was a 

 splendid spirit of cooperation throughout the Conference and everj^body 

 worked constantly toward the one end of securing the most practical 

 plans possible for another year. 



Twenty-five projects were outlined and adopted. " Each of these gives 

 a statement of the objects of the project and the methods of procedure 

 for putting it into operation in the county, including suggestions for 

 demonstration work and for securing definite data and, so far as possi- 

 ble, measured results. A few selected references were included with each 

 project, and copies of all the projects were sent to the County Agents, 

 members of the faculty. Extension Specialists and Farm Bureau officers. 

 The subjects concerning which projects were adopted are as follows: Or- 

 ganization, Soils, Commercial Fertilizers, Drainage, Distribution of Pure 

 Seed, Legumes, Potatoes, Horticulture, Entomology, Control of Plant 

 Diseases, Live Stock Program for Michigan, Live Stock Breeders' Asso- 

 ciations, Cow Testing Associations, Control of Animal Diseases, Poulr 

 try Demonstrations, Feeding Demonstrations and Records of Produc- 

 tion, Farm Management, Household Engineering, Boys' and Girls' Clubs, 

 Relation of the Teachers of Agriculture in High Schools to Countj^ Agri- 

 cultural Agent Work, Relation of County Agents to Cooperative Market- 

 ing, Exhibits and Fairs, Relation of County Agents to Federal Farm 

 Loan Act, Forestry, and Home Economics. 



RELATION OF COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AGENT WORK TO THE OTHER PHASES OF 



THE EXTENSION SYSTEM. 



The County Agricultural Agent work is not a one-man movement but 

 is a system by which the people of the county through a Countj^ Farm 

 Bureau with its affiliated community groups formulate an agricultural 



