40 AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS IN UNITED STATES. 



in the pig club work introduced thousands of pure-bred animals into 

 their communities and demonstrated improved methods of feeding. 

 About 186,000 new farmers grow swine for the first time each year. It 

 appears, therefore, that at least one-fourth of the future swine growers 

 received some training through the club work. Twenty-four thousand, 

 or nearly 1 5 per cent, of the future swine growers completed the require- 

 ments of the club leaders. 



The girls and women did a lajrge amount of work in poultry raising, 

 gardening, and food conservation. About 260,000 gardens were estab- 

 lished or improved. The canning work included 9,500,000 containers 

 of fruits and vegetables and 715,000 pounds of poultry and meat. In 

 addition, 2,600,000 pounds of lard, 3,900,000 pounds of sausage, and 

 9,450,000 pounds of cured meat were conserved. 



The larger part of the extension work in recent years has related to 

 standardizing and marketing farm products and the formation of coopera- 

 tive associations. In 1921 the associations which extension agents helped 

 to organize did business amounting to $77,000,000, with a saving to 

 farmers of $9,325,000. The total business of similar organizations thus 

 far organized amounted last year to $310,000,000, with a saving of 

 $30,000,000. 



White agents did much work which benefited negro farmers and there 

 were also about 240 negro agents, men and women. Over 14,000 negro 

 farmers conducted demonstrations and thus increased their yields of 

 crops on an average of 50 per cent. Fifteen thousand negro boys en 

 rolled in crop and live-stock clubs raised products valued at $230,000. 

 The negro women and girls canned 225,000 containers of fruits and vege- 

 tables and cured or canned over 500,000 pounds of meat. Much work 

 was done in improving negro homes and making their surroundings sani- 

 tary. There is very encouraging cooperation of the races in this work. 



ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN HOME ECONOMICS. 



Elementary instruction in subjects within the field of home economics 

 is given in a large number of public and private schools throughout the 

 United States. The work is best organized in the cities, but in the " con- 

 solidated" rural schools and in a considerable number of the smaller 

 rural schools useful instruction is given. Cities, counties, and State de- 

 partments of education often employ special supervising officers to direct 

 and promote home economics instruction in the elementary and higher 

 schools. 



In 1921 the Bureau of Education reported that in two-thirds of all the 

 larger school systems "home economics is required of all girls in the 

 seventh and eighth grades, " and in a considerable number of cities it is 

 also required in the fifth and sixth grades. In the smaller cities and in 

 the rural communities this instruction usually covers one or two years 

 at the end of the elementary courses. 



