One County Agent acted under the county physician as visiting nurse to fourteen 

 cotton mill families who were suffering from "flu." The Home Demonstration 

 Agents have given instructions and demonstrations in invalid cookery all over 

 the State and thus helped to combat "flu" with right food. 



Short courses for instruction in home-making activities and county and com- 

 munity fairs have been held in most of the counties and have been of inestimable 

 value. 



About 150 demonstration kitchens have been established by the Home 

 Demonstration Agents to give instruction to their club members and the public 

 generally. About 2,000,000 pounds of vegetables were raised and conserved by 

 the canning club girls and 1,399,590 cans packed by the women. It is estimated 

 that nearly 3,000,000 cans of fruits and vegetables, meat, fish and game were 

 packed by those attending demonstrations, but who were not enrolled. 



The Home Demonstration Program includes social and recreational, as well 

 as educational features. This cultural aspect of the work is recognized by the 

 State Department of Education. The State Superintendent has issued instruc- 

 tions to the County Superintendents and teachers to co-operate in every way 

 possible with the Home Demonstration Agents, especially in holding and organ- 

 izing community clubs, and in keeping the business records of their work. They 

 are advised to give two units of school credit for four years' satisfactory club work. 

 The United States Department of Agriculture and A. & M. College jointly issued 

 certificates to all girls completing four years of club work. More than 200 of 

 these certificates have been awarded. The largest number of fourth-year certi- 

 ficates awarded in one year in a county was thirty-three, given to canning club 

 girls in Lauderdale County. 



The primary purpose of Home Demonstration Work is not commercial gain, 

 but in 1918 the actual reports of Home Demonstration Work show the following 

 figures: 



Canned goods, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and game $750,000.00 



Dairy products, butter and cottage cheese 110,412.00 



Poultry products 102,310. 00 



Saving of food at Camp Shelby 181,765.00 



200,000 rats killed 200,000.00 



A total of $1,344,487.00 



which does not include sundries. 



In one county $256.00 worth of pine needle baskets were made and sold. 

 Holly and other native greenery was sold in a number of counties to the value of 

 several hundred dollars. More than a thousand fish ponds were stocked. Mere 

 money could not express the value of the services of these women during the 

 epidemic of influenza, their influence for better living in the homes, their improved 

 community spirit and the loyal, patriotic service of the Home Demonstration 

 Agents in both war and peace. 



Distributed by the 



CUT- OVER LAND DEPARTMENT 



of the 



SOUTHERN PINE ASSOCIATION 



Subject matter and illustrations furnished through the courtesy of the 

 U. S. Railroad Administration, Agricultural Section, Division of Traffic 



40 



POOLE BROS. CHICAGO. 



