58 THE COUNTY AGENT'S SERVICES 



university correspondence courses are probably most val- 

 uable when used as a definite part of the local machinery to 

 help to work out definite parts of the local program of 

 work, either through study clubs or individuals. 



FAEM BUREAU PUBLICATIONS 



We shall discuss more fully in Chapter XI the use of 

 farm bureau newses, exchanges and bulletins, as house 

 organs or media for keeping the members informed of what 

 the organization, county, state and national, is doing. 

 From the standpoint of a means of teaching such a regular 

 monthly publication may be useful in keeping the local 

 programs of work and progress and results on them before 

 the membership. Unless there is some such means of help- 

 ing individuals to keep the work visualized, to encourage 

 them to do their part, and to stimulate action and better 

 efforts, progress in carrying out the program is likely to 

 lag. Much can be accomplished in keeping up the spirit 

 and the virility of the organization and its work by inspira- 

 tional editorials setting forth ideals and goals. 



Such publications also afford a valuable means for col- 

 lege specialists to put in concise and usable form the latest 

 results of experiment and investigation, together with cer- 

 tain details, which are not usually put into bulletins quickly 

 if at all. One of the greatest difficulties in connection with 

 the preparation of these monthly publications by the county 

 agent, however, is his usual failure to find the necessary 

 time, with his many other duties, to do it well. So he does 

 the easiest thing, namely, makes it up "with the shears, " 

 using too much of the ready prepared material of the spe- 

 cialist, with the result that his paper is usually prosy, 

 general and dry reading and lacking in local news interest. 

 To be most effective, facts should be presented in terms of 



