experts to take the improved methods in agriculture 

 worked out by the State Colleges of Agriculture and 

 the United States Department of Agriculture out to 

 the farmer. Leading farmers are induced to try new 

 methods. Other farmers follow their example. That 

 is, these agencies are now dynamic, whereas formerly 

 they were more largely static. 



One of the most important forces in improving 

 agriculture today is the county agent. There are 

 2,920 agricultural counties in the United States. In 

 over three-fourths of the counties a county agent is 

 now employed. See Map II. In several counties one 

 or more assistant agents are also hired. They take out 

 to the farmer better methods in farming, help him to 

 produce more efficiently and to market his crops more 

 advantageously in a word, to earn more money. In 

 addition to these county agents some of the large city 

 banks employ county agents who guide the farmers in 

 applying loans to uses that will increase net profits. 

 In some instances railroads employ county agents. 

 Banks, railroads and city chambers of commerce have 

 actively promoted the county agent movement and 

 have extended financial assistance. 



In approximately 1,700 counties a woman home- 

 demonstration agent is employed to work with the 

 farmers' wives and daughters. Not only are better 

 methods of canning, care of poultry, etc., taught, but 

 better sanitation and more home improvements are 

 installed and more organizations of farm women are 

 promoted. That is, home demonstration agents help 

 farm women to add to the farm income and also to 

 establish a higher standard of living on the farm. 

 This movement for more expert assistance on the 

 farm is steadily growing, especially under the stimulus 

 of war conditions. In the near future every agricul- 

 tural county in the United States is likely to have 



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