180 BACKGROUND AND MEANS OF SERVICE 



these emergency agents was dropped. But the influence 

 of their war efforts continued, and in many counties has 



$k had to be lived down before the work could be permanently 



I < V/l es t a klished. 



X/ V The war borne demonstration agent work was more often 

 a liability than an asset. Until very recently few home 

 demonstration agents have had good organized support 

 from the women of their counties. They have had co- 

 operators, but not moral and financial support. Farm 

 women have felt little or no responsibility for the agent or 

 her work. The home demonstration agent has more often 

 worked for than with rural women. Only in proportion as 

 this piece of work has utilized the fundamental principles 

 of good organization and leadership for real service of a 

 vital character, outlined elsewhere in this book, has it be- 

 come permanently established. Elsewhere it has failed, at 

 least temporarily and unfortunately this failure has been 

 too general. 



THE PROGRAM OP WORK 



Food preservation and the proper use of food now dig- 

 nified under the title of "human nutrition" have loomed 

 large in the home demonstration program. At first it con- 

 sisted largely of canning and giving out of receipts. Now- 

 adays it is dealing with important nutrition problems. 

 Clothing work, beginning with details, is becoming the dem- 

 onstration of correct principles of clothing design and use. 

 Household management, home nursing, health in the home, 

 community enterprises, and the improvement of home sur- 

 roundings, all occupy an important place in the agent's ac- 

 tivities. Usually she gives more attention to social and com- 

 munity problems than the agricultural agent. Less work 

 in gardening, poultry and other production enterprises is 

 engaged in in the North than in the South. 



