HUMAN EFFORT AS A FACTOR IN PRODUCTION 253 



How can the knowledge of better agricultural methods be conveyed 

 to the masses in a way so effective that the methods will be accepted 

 and their practice become common ? For many years the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, the agricultural colleges, the 

 experiment stations, the agricultural press, the farmers' institutes, 

 and the national and state bulletins upon agriculture have thrown 

 light upon almost every topic relating to the farm. These have been 

 of great assistance to farmers who are alert and progressive, but the 

 masses, especially in the South, have scarcely been affected. There 

 came a time under cotton- boll- weevil conditions when it was found 

 necessary to reach and influence the poorer classes. The co-operative 

 demonstration plan was then tested. 



In country villages the banker, the merchant, and the editor join 

 with the leading farmers of the section in indorsing the progressive 

 plans of the demonstration work; farmers agree to follow instructions, 

 and demonstration plots of one or more acres are located so as to place 

 a sample of the best farming in each neighborhood of a county or dis- 

 trict. There must be enough of these to allow every farmer to see one 

 or more during the crop-growing period. The necessary work on the 

 plot must be done by the farmer and not by a government agent, 

 because the whole object-lesson is thereby brought closer to the 

 people. The demonstrating farmer understands it better because 

 he does the work and his neighbors believe that what he has done 

 they can do. 



Each month during the season instructions are sent to every 

 demonstrator and co-operator, clearly outlining the plan for managing 

 the crop. In addition, a local agent is expected to call on each demon- 

 strating farmer monthly and explain anything not understood in the 

 instructions. 



Previous notice by letter is given to all the co-operating farmers in 

 a neighborhood to meet the agent on a certain date at a given demon- 

 stration farm, where the crop and plans are thoroughly discussed. 

 This is called a "field school" and has been marvelously effective in 

 arousing local interest. At such meetings and on all occasions where 

 the agents meet farmers, the fundamental requirements for good 

 farming are discussed by the aid of notes sent out from the central 

 office. In the course of these discussions it has often developed that 

 the majority of small farmers had never fully complied with any of 

 these rules. They thought they knew all about farming and charged 

 their small product and failures to the seasons or the land. 



