TEACHING AND INFORMATION GIVING 37 



they can practice. This feeling may itself indicate a need 

 of stimulation and encouragement to practice. These are 

 the persons also who say, "We have had enough of edu- 

 cation now. It has made us poor through over-production. 

 What we need is not education but a better market and 

 price for what we already produce." Such statements 

 are their own best answer and need no other. What they 

 probably mean is that there has been too little educational 

 effort put upon the problems of marketing and distribution 

 in proportion to that expended in the effort to improve 

 the methods of production by demonstrational teaching. 

 What is evidently needed to meet such needs is more rather 

 than less education but redirected to meet these vital 

 problems. The educational method can and should be ap- 

 plied to the economic problems of distribution as well as 

 to the problems of production. 



But it is not necessary to say more on this point, for 

 it must be evident to all that what farmers primarily want 

 from the county agent is authoritative teaching and sound 

 information. The quality of this teaching and informa- 

 tion is very important. But methods are of equal im- 

 portance because the method which is used often determines 

 the acceptability and the application of the teaching and 

 therefore its real influence. The question then becomes 

 one of methods of teaching and information giving in this 

 field of agricultural extension. Many methods are used. 



HOW SHALL THE COUNTY AGENT TEACH? 



What are the most effective means of extension teach- 

 ing? Undoubtedly there is no one most effective method 

 for all conditions. Nor can any single method be used 

 under all circumstances. Neither are all equally effective 

 with the same people or the same kinds of things to be 



