TEACHING THE CULTIVATORS 63 



national agricultural programme and in adapting it to their local 

 conditions." 



County farm bureaus have now become general all over the 

 country, and are recognised as a most valuable institution, of the 

 most useful services of which under another aspect I shall still have 

 to speak in another chapter. Their services to agriculture, in con- 

 junction with those of the county agents — their nominees, acting 

 practically as their executive officers — of their assistants, and of the 

 numerous " specialists " impressed into service to instruct on 

 " special" subjects, of all of which obviously a county agent, being 

 human, could not be expected to be equally master, are generally 

 recognised as a substantial asset to the nation. They are made as 

 representative as possible of the farming population of the county. 

 Any resident in the county interested in agriculture, men and women 

 alike, is eligible, and so are non-residents owning land in the county. 

 Every member is required to pay an annual subscription, which is 

 generally fixed at a dollar per annum. Care is taken to see every 

 particular district represented. The Bureau elects its own committee 

 and officers and holds its periodical meetings. The organisation 

 is thoroughly democratic. Some of these bureaus publish monthly 

 news sheets. Official publications give the following definition for 

 the purposes of a farm bureau, as it is expected to be. They are as 

 follows : — 



1. To encourage self-help through encouraging, developing and 

 exercising leadership in the rural affairs of each community. 



2. To reveal to all the people of the county the agricultural possi- 

 bilities of the county and how they may be realised. 



3. To furnish the means whereby the agricultural problems of the 

 county and the problems of the farm home may be systematically 

 studied, and their solution attempted through a county pro- 

 gramme of work to secure the well-being, prosperity and happiness 

 of all rural people. 



4. To co-ordinate the efforts of existing rural agricultural forces, 

 organised or unorganised, and to promote new lines of effort. 



5. To bring to the agents, representing the organisation, the State 

 Agricultural College and the Federal Department of Agriculture the 

 counsel and advice of the best people in the county as to what ought 

 to be done and how to do it. 



6. To furnish the necessary local machinery for easily and quickly 

 supplying every community in the county with information of value 

 to that community or to the county as a whole. 



As remodelled after, and in accordance with, the lessons taught by 



