1200 EXTENSION TEACHING 



EXTENSION TEACHING 



be mentioned the orchard survey of some of the 

 leading apple-growing counties of New York. A meas- 

 ure of the commercial value of spraying is secured by 

 statistical results from sprayed and unsprayed orchards. 

 The commercial value of orchard tillage as compared 

 with orchards growing in sod is shown by the returns 

 from each class of orchard. The best methods of green- 

 house construction and management for particular crops 

 may be determined and explained in the same way. 



Extension schools. In many states, extension schools 

 of horticulture are held for the purpose of carrying 

 special horticultural instruction to a neighborhood. 

 Such schools often consist of lectures and demonstra- 

 tions in a subject of immediate interest. For example, 

 just previous to harvesting a fruit crop a school in 

 fruit-packing may be held. The methods and advan- 

 tages of proper packing are presented by means of 

 lectures. This is followed by practical laboratory 

 periods in which those in attendance learn to do the 

 work of proper packing. In a similar way, pruning, 

 spraying and other phases of fruit-production are 

 being taught in brief periods of one or two days or a 

 week, the time varying with the needs of the commu- 

 nity and the character of the subject taught; or situa- 

 tions with vegetable-growers and florists may be met. 



Correspondence courses. Some schools teach courses 

 in horticulture by correspondence. Certain subjects 

 are capable of being taught in this way. Outlines for 

 the lessons are mailed to the student. Prescribed read- 

 ing is required and directions for observations and 

 original work and study of plants are formulated. 

 Examinations usually consist of written reports made 

 by the student, embodying a statement of the results 

 secured by him. These reports usually show whether 

 or not the student has grasped the subject and wherein 

 he may need further suggestions and study. 



Boys' and girls' clubs. A movement that is destined 

 to have a very profound influence is the organization 

 of boys' and girls' clubs for the study of subjects rela- 

 ting to horticulture. Often this club work takes the 

 form of contests in gardening or in the production of 

 some special garden crop, such as tomatoes. Organiza- 

 tion is best effected through cooperation with the 

 schools or somebody that can direct the work of each 

 local club. Printed sheets are mailed the club members, 

 from time to time, giving instruction in the details of 

 the work and the conditions governing the contest. 

 Prizes are usually awarded at the local contests and 

 sometimes the prize-winnerscompete in a state contest. 



Cooperative demonstrations and experiments. A very 

 efficient means of promoting the productive growth of 

 any horticultural interest is by means of cooperative 

 demonstrations conducted on the grounds of some 

 energetic grower, whose conditions fairly represent the 

 neighborhood. The ground may be leased by the 

 institution or offered by the local grower. Experiments 

 are carefully outlined to test some problem of interest, 

 such as spraying, comparison of methods of pruning 

 or of cultivation or planting, the use of fertilizers, 

 determination of the merits of particular flowers or 

 vegetables, or other question which the community 

 needs to have worked out. A representative of the 

 horticultural staff visits the grounds as often as is 

 necessary to oversee proper conduct of the work and 

 to record the results of the experiment. Whenever 

 results are secured that are of benefit to the growers, 

 a meeting is held for the purpose of explaining and 

 observing these results and demonstrating the methods 

 for the benefit of those who may profit by adopting 

 them. This form of extension affords the means not 

 only of presenting to the grower facts and methods 

 already known, but it also works new problems out 

 for the neighborhood by securing results that are 

 adapted to their special local requirement. It makes 

 the work convincing; the growers themselves have a 

 hand in it and feel that it is their own; they grow into 



an understanding of it as the work grows; it gives a 

 new pride and a new power in working for superior 

 methods. While this is perhaps the most productive 

 form of extension work, its scope is, of course, neces- 

 sarily limited by the fact that working force and funds 

 are not available for handling more than a limited 

 number of the pressing problems in a state at one time. 



General considerations. Incidentally there are other 

 ways by which extension work may be accomplished. 

 Enough already has been accomplished to show that 

 organized extension work has a large and increasing 

 influence upon the horticulture of a state. 



Like any other great movement in behalf of human 

 progress, the measure of success of extension work in 

 horticulture depends largely on its proper organization. 

 It offers a multitude of opportunities for work that the 

 world needs to have done. As indicated above, the 

 work is approached in numerous ways. Unless properly 

 organized there is danger of scattered effort, duplica- 

 tion, and failure to follow up results so as to give sta- 

 bility and permanence. It should be a factor in the 

 organized extension work of the entire institution of 

 which it is a part. The question then arises as to 

 whether the work should be undertaken by a separate 

 corps of workers, especially trained for the purpose, and 

 acting under the direction of an extension department 

 head, or whether, since it relates to a special profes- 

 sional field, it should be carried by the officers of the 

 department of horticulture in the college and experi- 

 ment station. To the writer, the latter seems to be the 

 more rational arrangement. It is no doubt true that 

 if a corps of men do extension work exclusively, with 

 no definitely organized relation to college teaching and 

 experiment station investigation, there will be a ten- 

 dency to lose touch with higher educational ideals 

 and failure to take to the people the stimulus of pro- 

 ductive investigation and the last word in scientific 

 advancement. Undoubtedly there is a tendency, 

 especially on the part of younger men who have the 

 faculty of appealing to the popular audience, to become 

 satisfied with the plaudits of the multitude, and to 

 strive only to enthuse and amuse, unless they are 

 closely connected with college and station work. 

 While one function of extension work may be to inspire 

 and exhort, the day has passed when that alone is 

 sufficient. The commercial horticulturist has reached 

 a plane of development when he needs definite helpful 

 instruction. Attractive letters and lectures are no 

 longer sufficient. He needs, in addition, so far as it is 

 possible to supply it, definite demonstrations of how 

 to do his work according to the most approved methods. 

 The men most closely in touch with strong college 

 teaching and station investigation should be the best 

 fitted to supply this need. 



Furthermore, the college teacher or investigator 

 equally needs intimate contact with the commercial 

 grower and his problems. His problems are the prob- 

 lems of the teacher and the investigator. The above 

 conclusions do not dispute the fact that an individual 

 may have especial talent and taste for extension work 

 and lack the plodding patience to make a strong 

 investigator. He may largely devote his time to 

 extension if only the organization keeps him closely 

 linked with college and station men. On the other 

 hand, a productive investigator may not best succeed 

 as a popular lecturer and may give most of his time to 

 investigation. His help may be indispensable in solv- 

 ing some of the difficult problems Ithat arise in the 

 field of extension. The organization of the individuals 

 doing college and station work, ought to afford that 

 union of relationship that will enable the director of 

 extension to call the department of horticulture to his 

 aid. The organization within the department should 

 be best able to supply this need by calling upon the 

 individual best fitted to meet the specific demand. 



J. C. WHITTEN. 



