THE COUNTY AGENT'S JOB AND OPPORTUNITY 135 



larger in the richer farming counties and in those with 

 cities and hence having greater property valuations. In 

 general, salaries of county agents are lowest in the South 

 and highest in the Middle West and in certain wealthy 

 Eastern counties. 



The rapidity and comparative ease with which a county 

 agent's salary can be and often is raised is an advantage. 

 Coming as it does from several sources federal, state and 

 county appropriations and the fees of farmers in the county 

 associations there are many sources from which to obtain 

 the necessary funds if desired. There is very little "red 

 tape" to be complied with. Ability and success are in 

 most cases quickly recognized and rewarded. Increases in 

 salary depend chiefly on the county executive committees, 

 and these men, usually deeply interested in the work and 

 close to it, are as a rule appreciative of real service ren- 

 dered and liberal in recognizing it. 



During the calendar year of 1921, 511 county agricul- 

 tural agents, 276 home demonstration agents and 137 boys' 

 and girls' club agents resigned. In their places and in 

 new and unfilled counties were appointed 639 new county 

 agricultural, 284 new home demonstration and 109 new 

 boys' and girls' club agents in the United States. This in- 

 dicates large opportunities and frequent openings in this 

 field of service, not difficult to win when a person prepares 

 himself for it. 



To the uninformed observer this high percentage of turn- 

 over and short term of service may seem to contradict and 

 offset the advantages of the job just enumerated. This is 

 not the case. A usual and inevitable percentage of ap- 

 pointees fail to make good, partly because they are not 

 adapted to the job and partly from lack of sufficient prep- 

 aration of the right kind. The greater part of the re- 

 placements, however, are due to the fact that the success- 



