Satterthwait] nature-study EXTENSION 77 



and would allow his boy no advantage over himself, excepting in 

 choice of locality. 



The neighboring farmers, in discussing community affairs at the 

 village grocery, became vexed at the idea of this boy winning twice 

 in the contest, assuming that there was unfairness or favoritism. 

 One farmer whose house was just across the road from the lad's 

 field the second year remained silent until the discussion stirred 

 him to speak in defense of the boy. He said, "I do not know how 

 the judging is done, but I know that when I got up in the mornings, 

 he was already at work cultivating that corn. When I quit work in 

 the evenings, I sat on my porch and read my paper for a couple of 

 hours by sunlight and he continued working that corn till dark. 

 I laid my com by after working it three times. He worked his 

 eight times. Our land is the same. I know how he got his 126 

 bushels and how I got my 40." 



These illustrations show that the boys' work goes home to the 

 men. Here is an illustration where a man's example failed to go 

 home to his neighbors. In Ohio, the writer found a farmer who 

 was successful to a marked degree on land appearing to be identical 

 to the land surrounding him. The crops around him compared 

 very unfavorably with his. This farmer plowed his land about 

 eight inches deep, his neighbors about four inches. They asked 

 him how he was able to raise such crops, and he explained. It was 

 too simple. They could not believe it. They regarded his 

 answer as a subterfuge and himself too mean and selfish to deserve 

 neighborly courtesies. 



These illustrations are representative. Artificial barriers exist 

 between the farmer and "the new f angled book-farming." The 

 farmer deserves great credit for surmounting his difficulties as well 

 as he has done. There are today numerous magnificent farmers to 

 be found in every state. Doubtless all of them have profoundly 

 influenced their communities for the better, and probably many of 

 them have observed examples of hostile jealousy similar to that 

 sourrounding the Ohio farmer. These farmers who have greatly 

 raised the standards of farming are all too few. They are, how- 

 ever, towers of strength for their county farm bureaus and their 

 county agents, and will have increased companionship when the 

 first generation of the extension work boys and <(irls assumes 

 responsibility on their respective farms. 



Extension work is done chiefly in county units. There are in the 

 United States 2,936 counties. Eventually, 2,850 of these may 



