THE DEMONSTRATION WORK 



In selecting for milk, teach the points of judging, and the great 

 importance of selecting for large and rich milkers, showing that 

 one cow to produce milk at one-half or possibly one-third the cost 

 of another, hence the best animal for beef and for milk is the eco- 

 nomic animal. 



Poultry raising should have a place in the Short Course, and 

 the importance of selecting the hens for the number of eggs and the 

 kind of eggs that they produce, especially showing that the smaller 

 animals are the most economic so far as food production is concerned. 



I think the above is perhaps sufficient. It is better to drive 

 home a few points most thoroughly than to undertake to teach too 

 much, but in connection with every short course I would impress 

 the importance of having a comfortable home and household con- 

 veniences, as well as a yard with some lawn and some flowers, the 

 latter for civilization." 



What wonderful sweep and power in the last four words 

 of this outline ! 



It must not be assumed that Dr. Knapp had easy sailing 

 in the formative days of the Demonstration Work. He en- 

 countered indifference, prejudice and opposition. On Novem- 

 ber 16, 1906, when his headquarters were at Lake Charles, 

 Louisiana, he issued an interview from which the following 

 quotation is taken : 



"There has been some misapprehension among farmers in 

 regard to the Farmers' Cooperative Demonstration Work. Many 

 have supposed that the instructions all come from Washington, and 

 were not adapted to Southern conditions. This is not correct. The 

 instructions given out for this work are made upon the following 

 plan: First, a compilation of all experiments, relating to a given 

 crop, by the Experiment Stations in the cotton states, is carefully 

 made. For example : All the experiments in relation to the prepara- 

 tion of the soil, the planting and the cultivation of cotton are com- 

 piled. Then the experience in planting, of a large number of the 

 best cotton farmers in the South along the same lines of work in 

 cotton is carefully noted. In addition to this the observation and 

 experience of all the traveling agents of this Department are 



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