18 



CIRCULAR NO. 



117, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 



The low percentage in the West-Central States is clue to the small 

 attendance in Missouri, where only 9.9 per cent of the farmers visited 

 attended institutes. The percentages for the other States show little 

 variation. New York has the highest percentage, but even here the 

 difference is not sufficient to warrant special attention. 



If the data obtained with reference to the farmers' institutes are 

 compared with those obtained for the bulletins, it is seen that out 

 of 3,G98 farmers visited the farm practices of 773 are being modified 

 by suggestions obtained from bulletins, while the practices of but 

 576 fanners are being modified by suggestions secured from the 

 farmers' institute. Of those who received the bulletins, practically 

 48 per cent put into practice some of the matters suggested by them, 

 while of those who attended the farmers' institutes practically 54 

 per cent put into practice something learned there. So far as these 

 data go, therefore, they indicate a like efficiency of the bulletins and 

 institutes in inducing action on the part of the farmer, with the ad- 

 vantage, if any, a little in favor of the institutes. 



INFLUENCE OF AGRICULTURAL PAPERS. 



The agricultural press shows up in this survey as one of the domi- 

 nating influences in American agriculture. Practically two out of 

 every three farmers visited take one or more farm papers. Unfor- 

 tunately no statistics were gathered as in the case of the bulletins and 

 institutes showing in just what way the papers influenced action; 

 but that they did so influence the fanner is convincingly brought out 

 in the question giving the farmer's estimate of the relative value of 

 the various agricultural agencies in aiding him in his farming, dis- 

 cussed elsewhere in this report. Table III summarizes the data with 

 reference to farm papers. 



Table III. — Fanner* talcing agricultural papers. 



The above table shows that 2,423, or G5.5 per cent, of the farmers 

 visited take farm papers. Further tabulation shows that 44.2 per cent 

 of this number receive two or more agricultural papers. The South 

 Atlantic States are lowest in the percentage of fanners taking papers, 

 averaging but 45.4 per cent, while the other sections show little 



[Cir. 117] 



