46 THE COUNTY AGENTS SERVICES 



good teaching methods. When definite points are not 

 brought out or useful lessons taught, or when the principal 

 object seems to be to cover a lot of territory and to see 

 the country generally, this type of meeting may not be 

 worth while. 



The demonstration train, so-called, was once quite pop- 

 ular but of late has fallen into disuse if not into disrepute. 

 As usually conducted it is essentially a propaganda method. 

 It has the obvious advantages of novelty and being easily 

 advertised so as to draw comparatively large crowds, and 

 of permitting the easy transportation of good demonstra- 

 tion equipment and material. But the attendance is usu- 

 ally of mixed groups only casually interested and usually 

 drawn chiefly from the villages where the train, of neces- 

 sity, has to be stopped. Only a few at a time can be 

 accommodated in the coaches and these few are often 

 restless and are not likely to stay through the talk or the 

 demonstration. In short, those attending are usually 

 looking for the unusual or the sensational, and even if 

 disappointed are not the persons whom it is most desir- 

 able to reach. The modification of the train idea by the 

 use of one or two cars moved from station to station on 

 regular trains and side-tracked for a half day or more 

 at a time, is an improvement on the train, but still hardly 

 as useful for good teaching as many other forms of dem- 

 onstration. 



TEACHING BY THE SPOKEN MESSAGE 



Telling is not teaching; but the spoken word in lecture, 

 particularly if discussion can be provoked, is a powerful 

 force in giving useful information and in stimulating 

 thought on local problems. It, as well as the demonstra- 

 tion, has the advantage of the personal touch and under- 

 standing between the teacher and the taught. After all, 



