THE DEMONSTRATION WORK 



play the game on the diamond. He was told that such would be 

 a long, tedious and complicated process. The thing to do is to 

 select nine husky boys on each side and let one crew go to bat in 

 order, and the other into the field, in the respective places of 

 catcher, pitcher, first baseman and so on around. They learn to 

 play by playing. Of course the Oxford man, with his knowl- 

 edge gained here, would have to do some general coaching, but 

 he could keep the game going. When that stage is reached the 

 boys could begin to learn from the book of instructions. They 

 would have the interest and the desire. Under such conditions 

 it is not difficult to impart knowledge. The analogy holds for 

 all forms of group training and mass instruction. Just to the 

 extent that Demonstration Agents appreciate the philosophy 

 of such method just to that extent will they become masters of 

 the situation, and multiply their usefulness. 



A good woman county agent must be a gardener, 

 orchardist and farmer. The gardening side has been thor- 

 oughly impressed upon the public mind, because, for several 

 years in the early days, there were more than a hundred 

 thousand girls a year working with one or more vegetables. 

 Gardens have been stimulated everywhere because groups of 

 girls started the study and production of one vegetable. Many 

 of these agents realize the importance of this phase of the work 

 because they have selected their own 1-10 or 1-20 acre plots 

 and conducted their own work in advance of the girls. As they 

 progress with the second, third and fourth year girls they 

 specialize on two, three and four vegetables. They carry the 

 public along with them. They must learn methods of canning, 

 preserving and jelly making which enable them and their 

 demonstrators to utilize the surplus fruits of the gardens and 

 orchards. Thus it is that they study small fruits, and they are 

 also called upon to give advice in pruning, spraying and other- 



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