EXTENSION DIVISION. 251 



cases, the speed of clearing was tJie determiiiing factor with no particular 

 attention ])ai(l to the cash outlay. Therefore, that which is economic land 

 clearing for one may be impossible for another, and this is one of the 

 many reasons for bringing land clearing education as near the individual's 

 back door as possible. 



Besides interesting farmers, it was necessary to show business men and 

 bankers the direct relations between more cleared acres and more rapid 

 development of their community or city. It Avas our privilege to api)ear 

 before 25 business men's meetings with an attendance of 1702. By gain- 

 ing their co-operation and support, the land clearing movement took 

 enomnous stricles forward. During the winter two county agents' confer- 

 ences were held where land clearing was the main subject of discussion 

 and in the majority of cases, land clearing was one of the major projects 

 in the yP^ar's work of the county agents. From the county agents' re- 

 ports, we tind they spent 25.8% of their time on land clearing. 



Since last fall, this office has supplied twenty-five newspapers of the 

 Upper Peninsula each week with land clearing material. Our clipping 

 book shows that these papers as well as several in the Lower I'eninsula 

 and numerous farm magazines have been supplied with information. Be- 

 cause of our wide publicity campaign, we have received requests for infor- 

 mation on laud clearing and possibilities of land clearing, stretching fi-oni 

 New York to Seattle and as far south as Central America. 



To interest the young folks and also to further interest the older folks 

 in land clearing, a land clearing story contest was carjned on in each of 

 six counties. Over a thousand essays were submitted and prizes were 

 awarded to the winners. 



Practical land clearing education was carried on this spring by a series 

 of 38 land clearing schools conducted in ten counties of the Upper Penin- 

 sula. Over 10,000 people attended these schools. The school was nmde 

 up of eight caTs donated b^^ the railroad ; 18 men, supplied by the College ; 

 six stump pullers, supplied by stump puller companies; two tractors, 

 supplied by the tractor companies ; and dynamite and dynamite tools from 

 three powder companies as well as picric acid. The "learn by doing" 

 method was adopted in the field, clearing a total of 86 acres. About 

 2706 farmers took the complete course. We knoAV that everyone who at- 

 tended these schools carried away some ideas which will be beneficial to 

 him. 



It was also the duty of this office to distribute 636,000 pounds of war 

 salvage picric acid to the farmers of the State. This was done through 

 the county agent system, farm bureau organizations, and county clerks. 

 Fourteen cars of 300,000 pounds were placed in 15 counties of the Lower 

 Peninsula and the remaining 13 cars, or 336,000 pounds were distributed 

 in 11 counties in the Upper Peninsula. It is estimated that 12,000 acres 

 of land were cleared with this explosive at a saving to the farmers of 

 about 165,000. 



