374 ANIsTUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Besides the millions of home gardens, 91,000 demonstrations of 

 ^vinter and perennial gardens were established and conducted b}' 

 women and girls to illustrate all-the-year-round food production. 



It is difficult to say what proportion of tlie emergency work shoidd 

 be credited to the girls and what proportion to the women, but it is 

 probable that about one-third of the emergency canning should be 

 credited to the girls. In no other year in the history of the work hi 

 the South has so much been done along this line, and the results arc 

 to be attributed to the enthusiasm and energy of the agents and to 

 the wonderful organization and devotion of the women and girls 

 who contributed toward these results. 



The work in home drying of fruits and vegetables for future use 

 initiated in 1917, owing to the scarcity of cans, advanced very ma- 

 terially during the season of 1918. The total amount of dried fruits 

 and vegetables prepared and stored was 8,932,787 pounds, estimated 

 to be worth $1,846,025.56. The women established 131 central plants 

 for community drying. 



The results in brining and pickling Avere beyond expectations, 

 about 1,006,222 gallons of vegetables, valued at $382,808.73 having 

 been preserved and saved. Rural women in the regular enrollment 

 ])ut up 336,872 gallons, and in the emergency enrollment 447,292 gal- 

 lons. Ilie balance was put up by the girls and a small amount by 

 the negro enrollment. 



The agents' reports show that the women enrolled in the work in 

 1918 produced 16,507,711 pounds of butter and 939,603 pounds of 

 cottage cheese. A considerable proportion of this butter was sold 

 locally and brought an average of 17 cents per pound above tlie 

 market price for ordinary butter. 



During the year 1918 there were organized 173 egg circles and 211 

 cooperative poultry breeding associations. Through these organiza- 

 tions approximately 1,592,357 chickens were raised and 575,593 dozens 

 of eggs marketed cooperatively and 198,427 dozens individually. The 

 value of the esgs marketed was a little over $300,000. They mar- 

 keted 1,148,738'pounds of poultry, valued at $311,558.82. The agents 

 also report 130,297 dozens of eggs preserved in Avaterglass. 



The home demonstration agents worked in close cooperation vritli 

 the Food Administration in the conservation of v/heat, meat, sugar. 

 and fats, and deserve a fair share of the credit for the success .of tliis 

 campaign. 



'in addition to these lines of work, household conveniences, labor- 

 saving devices, and equipment of various kinds were placed in thou- 

 sands of homes, farm women and girls were assisted in the conserva- 

 tion of clothing, and many other things were done to improve the 

 health, beautify the home, and make country life more attractive. 



BOYS' AGRICULTURAL CLUBS. 



The boys' agricultural club work surpassed all previous records. 

 Stimulated by a spirit of patriotism and assisted by the emergency 

 appropriation, the boys' club enrollment increased from 115,746 in 

 1917 to 407,540 in 1918, including the emergency members. The 

 grand total production of the clubs, including emergency members 

 and farm makers' clubs for negro boys, was $12,034,271.27. The 



