THE DEMONSTRATION WORK 



achievement in preference to theorizing in the same article in 

 this language : 



"The Anglo-Saxon mind works differently from the Latin mind, 

 and this difference accounts for the Anglo Saxon — The American — 

 success in self-government. The Latin mind is logical. It insists 

 upon reducing things to clear-cut, logical, 'principles' before it pro- 

 ceeds to action. Frenchmen, or Italians, will spend months drawing 

 up a set of 'principles,' arguing endlessly before they can agree upon 

 the precise phase that fits exactly their philosophical preconceptions 

 — and the first time they try to do business under these 'principles' 

 they simply start another endless argument over its violation of the 

 'principles.' " 



"Now the American mind is logical enough, but it is practical. 

 It does not conceive of 'principles;' it formulates ideals. These 

 ideals are a rough conception both of what it wants to do and of the 

 spirit in which it wants it done. To achieve these ideals, it formulates 

 measures. Then it proceeds to action. If the first set of measures 

 does not produce a result that satisfies the ideal, it casts that method 

 aside, and tries another." 



Specialists, county agents and all other workers need to 

 remember the early instructions in the demonstration work, 

 viz. : ' ' Get results first and do the talking afterwards. ' ' Such 

 a line of action will prevent misunderstandings and make co- 

 operation easy. 



Prom the very nature of the ease, general instruction 

 in this work begins with the demonstration. It is the nucleus 

 in theory and in fact. It is somewhat like the story of the 

 western farmer who had three sons. He wanted them to 

 stick together and keep the farm intact after his death. It 

 was a cattle and hog farm. Following a good custom, he 

 suggested that they name the farm. They thought it over, 

 but could not agree upon a name. Finally they went back 

 to their father and asked him to suggest the name. "Cer- 

 tainly," said he; ''my sons will raise meat here and I think 

 Focus will be the best name. A focus is the place where the 



[166] 



