SUPERVISION, INSTRUCTION AND SUPPORT 



strators, put forth extra effort to have their crops, their live 

 stock, their preserves and jams, and their premises generally, 

 in the best possible condition. It is human nature to want to 

 win approval under such circumstances. Some students of 

 this plan have said that the visits of inspection by the men 

 and women agents are even more potent than the scientific 

 knowledge which they impart. 



The district agents, as a rule, have from fifteen to twenty 

 county agents under their supervision. When they have spent a 

 day or two with each one, the month is about gone. Of course 

 they may find it necessary to spend three or four days in one 

 county one time, and not more than an hour or two with 

 another agent in another county. When a county agent is first 

 appointed and begins work, the district agent may spend a 

 week in that county. After the agent gets everything going 

 good a smaller amount of time is necessary. Then again the 

 district agent sees that the work in a certain county is not 

 succeeding. He must diagnose the trouble promptly. Per- 

 haps some advice and coaching may help the county agent. 

 Perhaps the business men, the county commissioners or the 

 educational board may be out of line and making trouble. 

 Some counsel and guidance from the outside may be specially 

 timely and helpful. The district agent comes along with in- 

 formation about how they do things in other counties, and 

 gives just the aid that will smooth things out again. When- 

 ever it becomes apparent that the county agent is a misfit, or 

 has lost his usefulness and influence, the district agent is 

 ready to bring about a resignation, and perhaps a transfer. 



In the capacity of judges of people and situations, the 

 district agents earn their salaries several times over. If the 

 county agents were appointed from state headquarters, and 

 if there were no supervision except such as can be done 



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