THE DEMONSTRATION WORK 



and a man or woman who is devoting full time to it 

 can make a most necessary and helpful contribution. For 

 instance, a drainage engineer can attend a few field demon- 

 strations and show the underljdng principles of terracing or 

 tiling, and the county agent will soon be able to do it and 

 several farmers will become expert in a short time. A me- 

 chanical engineer can give some special instruction at Home 

 Demonstration Agents' meetings, for a few days, and the 

 whole group will be better prepared to give needed advice 

 in regard to gasoline engines, water works, electric lights, 

 washing machines and power equipment of various kinds 

 for the farm home. Architects can give direction in the 

 building of a half dozen houses in a county, in the artistic 

 development of the lawn and landscape, and by that time 

 the general interest and knowledge of the fundamentals will 

 be sufficient to enable the agent to carry forward similar 

 work all over the county. There is a very necessary work 

 for specialists in combating plant and animal diseases and 

 insect pests, but even in these cases the most common ones 

 soon become subjects of general knowledge and the special- 

 ist does not need to give perpetual instruction to the same 

 folks. The main point is that the county agent, under the 

 supervision of the district and state agents, is on the ground, 

 knows the situation and knows what the specialists have to 

 offer. He must give direction to the whole program in his 

 county or he will lose his standing and become discredited in 

 his own position. On the other hand, if the county agent 

 brings the specialist to his field for timely and expert aid, 

 his own reputation will be enhanced and strengthened. 



Wherever and whenever there is a change in the crop- 

 ping system of a section of country and new crops must be 

 introduced, as happened upon the advent of the boll weevil, 



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