8 THE COUNTY AGENTS SERVICES 



and well organized effort. As has already been pointed 

 out, how vitally the program touches the real needs of the 

 county, will in large measure determine its permanency. 

 Of course particular items in the program will need to be 

 emphasized more at one time than at another, as, for ex- 

 ample, the raising of more home-grown feed in a dairy 

 section when feed is very high than when it is very low, 

 or, the protection of plants or animals against disease when 

 conditions are especially favorable for it. Emergencies are 

 always likely to arise which will and which should modify 

 the program at least temporarily. In general, it would 

 seem that not less than seventy -five per cent of the agent's 

 time should be devoted to the permanent program, leaving 

 about twenty-five per cent for emergencies and for mis- 

 cellaneous effort, more or less of which is probably inevit- 

 able. But when the percentage of effort on this miscel- 

 laneous work rises above twenty-five per cent, then the 

 situation should have the attention of the local committee 

 and of the supervising agencies. 



BUILDING A PROGRAM 



Since it is clear that a program cannot have large value 

 except as it vitally affects the needs of the community and 

 the county, it follows that some means should be devised 

 through which to determine accurately what these needs 

 really are. Can there be any better means than the com- 

 ing together of representative committees and councils of 

 farmers from the communities to consider their needs and 

 to determine upon the best ways to meet them? The peo- 

 ple who have lived long in a community have learned its 

 handicaps and its limitations as well as its advantages. 

 Especially if they have discussed their local problems in 

 their grange and club meetings, they will realize what 



