KDi roHiAi.. _ 605 



which no t'olle<>:o of agricuture can adequateh' serve its State. It is 

 to the extension department of these colleges, if jjroperly condnctod. 

 that we must now look for the most effective roiisin<r of the peoj)le 

 on the hind." 



The commission believes that the development of the best in coun- 

 irv life is hu-<rel,v a question of <>;uidance. "The exercise of a wise 

 advice, stimulus, and direction from some central national agency, 

 ('xtendinii' over a series of years, could accomplish untold good, not 

 oidy for the open country, but for all the jieople and for our 

 institutions. 



•• In the connnunities themselves the same kind of guidance is 

 needed, operating in good farming, in schools, churches, societies, and 

 all useful i)ublic work. The gi'cat need everywhere is new and young 

 leadership, and the commission desires to make an appeal to all young 

 men and women who love the open country to consider this field when 

 <letermining their careers. AVe need young jwople of quality, energy, 

 • apacity. aspiration, and conviction, who will live in the open coun- 

 try as j)ermanent residents oji farms, or as teachers, or in other use- 

 ful fields, and who. while developing their own business or aft'airs to 

 the greatest perfection, will still have unselfish interest in the welfare 

 of their communities." 



The commission point> out. and the President concurs in the con- 

 clusion, •• that the most imi)<)rtant hel]) that the Goverimient. whether 

 National or State, can give is to show the people how to go about 

 these tasks of organization, education, and communication with the 

 best and quickest results. This can be done by the collection and 

 spread of information."" The President urges that "it is of the first 

 importance that the United States Department of Agriculture, 

 through which as prime agent the ideas the commission stands for 

 must reach the jn'ople. should become without delay in fact a T)ej)art- 

 nient of Country Life, fitted to deal not only with crops, but also 

 with all the larger as])ects of life in the open country." 



'Jlic work of this commission i)roadly emphasizes the need, liitherto 

 chiefly felt within a com|)arati\'ely narrow circle, of broadening the 

 scope of our agricultural colleges and the State and National depart- 

 ments of agriculture. So far the^-e institutions have directed their 

 energies mainly toward stimulating agricultural jiroduction. The 

 agricultural experiment stations are organized luider Federal and 

 State legislation which i)ractically limits their work to the |)i<)i)lems 

 of pro(luction. 



It is well that thi> is ^o. \\'hen the stations were established the 

 lune was not ri|)e for economic and sociological studies among rural 

 pco|)le in the Tnitecl States. If the stations had l)een permiltecl to 

 <*ngage in statistical or other general in(|uiries icgarding agricultural 

 conditions, it seem^ probable that their energies would have been 



