THE FARM DEMONSTRATION WORK 



be a center of influence, information and power. In order to 

 make a success of his enterprise he must learn from his neigh- 

 bors, from agricultural papers and books, and from colleges 

 and departments. This new status and position of the farmer 

 himself meant a new attitude, and herein lies the reason for 

 the reformation. May extension workers never forget the 

 importance of this relationship. The farmer who is making 

 a demonstration for his neighbors is the most important factor 

 in this plan — and not the agent, specialist or professor who 

 may be able to lecture learnedly upon agriculture. The evo- 

 lution of the demonstrator is thus described in a circular 

 written by Dr. Knapp in 1908 : 



"Every step is a revelation and a surprise to the farmer. He 

 sees his name in the county paper as one of the farmers selected by 

 the United States Department of Agriculture to conduct Demonstra- 

 tion Work; he receives instruction from Washington; he begins to be 

 noticed by his fellow-farmers; his better preparation of the soil 

 pleases him; he is proud of planting the best seed and having the 

 best cultivation. As the crop begins to show vigor and excellence 

 his neighbors call attention to it and finally when the demonstration 

 agent calls a field meeting at his farm the farmer begins to be im- 

 pressed not only with the fact that he has a good crop, but that he 

 is a man of more consequence than he thought. This man that was 

 never noticed before has had a meeting called at his farm; he con- 

 cludes that he is a leader in reforms. Immediately the brush begins to 

 disappear from the fence corners and the weeds from the fields; the 

 yard fence is straightened ; whitewash or paint goes on the buildings ; 

 the team looks a little better and the dilapidated harness is renovated. 

 Finally the crop is made and a report about it appears in the county 

 papers. It produces a sensation. A meeting is called by the neigh- 

 bors and the farmer is made chairman; he receives numerous in- 

 quiries about his crop and is invited to attend a meeting at the 

 county seat to tell how he did it." 



"He made a great crop, but the man grew faster than the crop. 

 There can be no reform until the man begins to grow, and the only 



[19] 



