10 JuxE, 1918.] American Agriculture. 341 



adviser, and organized througli committees from the Board of Directors 

 and from farm bureau centres. For example, " contesting associations," 

 " boys' clubs," " squirrel extermination," " increased food production," 

 " food conservation," " drainage control," " electric power extension," 

 " pure seed campaigns," and many other projects have been undertaken 

 by farm advisers working through the farm bureau centres. 



It may be remarked that no county is ever approached to introduce 

 the farm adviser's system. The initiative and organization must arise 

 in the county. 



Tbe farm adviser's work is organized through the county Farm 

 Bureau. The adviser travels through the county on schedule, calling 

 at each farm centre in turn, where he visits only those farmers on ivliom 

 he has been requested to call, the calls being scheduled in advance by the 

 local farm bureau director. 



Over 1,300 counties in the United States now have farm advisers. 

 The movement only started a few years ago, and it is too early to say 

 what the ultimate results will be. Probably ten years must elapse 

 before the full value of the movement can be estimated. There is no 

 question, however, that in California fine results are being achieved. 

 For example, in 1917, in nineteen counties in California, 8,177 farmers 

 were visited on their farms, 22,864 calls were made by farmers at the 

 farm adviser's office, 2,529 meetings were held under the auspices of 

 county farm bureaux, 5,049 meetings were attended by the farm ad- 

 visers, and the total attendance registered was 103,792. 



Large increases in areah for crops have been registered in counties 

 where farm advisers have been stationed, and much progressive w^ork 

 with live stock and orchards have been registered. 



BOYS' SCHOOL CLUBS. 



These have done excellent work in California. Each farm adviser 

 has general control of all extension activities in his county. One thou- 

 sand nine hundred and twenty boys in California were organized in 

 high schools and elementary schools last year. The work was only 

 begun two years ago, but it is anticipated that the number of boys taking 

 part in club work will rapidly increase. 



The work in the clubs relates to raising crops and animals for com- 

 petition puii^oses. The crops usually selected are potatoes, grain, 

 sorghum, beans, vegetables, and sugar beets. Wheat is not used for 

 crop competitions. The animals usually used for club work are pigs 

 and poultry. 



Graduates of Berkeley are usually chosen as club leaders, but in 

 many cases teachers of high schools are selected for the task. 



In the latter case, the University pays the teacher a sum to cover 

 travelling expenses and provide a small bonus. 



Dean Hunt says he does not believe in volunteer work; he believes 

 in payment for all services rendered by the teachers. 



The clubs are the means by which the boys make money in farming 

 by the practice of it. 



The usual sizes of the plots are : — Potatoes, ^ acre ; grain sorghum, 

 1 acre; corn, 1 acre; beans (Tepary, Mexican red, or Pink), ^ acre; 

 vegetables, i acre. 



