566 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. \ 10 Sept., 1918. 



work or extension work — bringing the teachings of the colleges and 

 ' stations to the last farm and the last farmer. 



xVnd now, finally, under the Smith-Hughes law, the Federal Govern- 

 ment has agreed to provide over 4,000,000 dollars (£830,000) per annum 

 for vocational education. 



Tnily, the men who founded the agricultural education systems of 

 the United States laid their foundations deep and well. 



Food Production, Shipbuilding, and Supply of Men for the Army. 



Just at present three great problems confront the nation — food pro- 

 duction, shipbuilding, and the training and munitioning of men for the 

 army. 



America is facing these with characteristic vigour and foresight. 



Under food production two factors are involved — the actual produc- 

 tion of increased quantities on the farms, and the conservation of what 

 foodstuffs are in the country by prudent consumption and prevention 

 of waste. 



Boys' Clubs in Massachusetts. 

 A twelve-year-old lad and his jtlot of vegetables. 



The production of increased quantities is being provided for in a 

 large number of ways — fixing the price of staples for the next harvest; 

 extensive use of tractors ; recruiting of farm labourers from voluntary 

 women workers; utilizing all boys of high school age during June, 

 July, and August (the three summer months) ; establishment of 

 machinery in each State for mobilization and direction of farm labour. 

 Then from thousands of platforms speakers urge increased food pro- 

 duction; the 3,000 county agents — one in nearly every agricultural 

 county of the United States — send out literature and personally urge 

 farmers to increase production. In crowded cities, such as Xew York, 

 Boston, and Chicago, the parks in the city are laid out in model 

 vegetable gardens to bring before the citizens how each can turn his 

 back yard to account. All kinds of vegetables, neatly set out in rows, 

 labelled with directions as to hoAv and when to plant, may be seen 

 growing in the gardens of the large cities. In l^ew York, thousands of 



