342 RURAL Si:W YORK 



only to give information which is imparted in lec- 

 tures, demonstrations and field and stable gatherings, 

 but to familiarize the farmer with the equipment, 

 methods and work of the institution to the end that 

 there may be a better mutual understanding and 

 greater unity of effort. This type of activity grew 

 up at the College from a very small beginning in the 

 annual conference of farmers interested in experi- 

 menting on their own farms and has now become a 

 large enterprise that annually brings several tbousand 

 persons to the College. This institution has now 

 been adopted by the schools of agriculture and the col- 

 leges of other states. 



The last and perhaps the most fundamental and 

 far-reaching step that has been taken to coordinate 

 the farmers of a community and to give them the 

 benefit of agricultural investigation and experience in 

 the light of tlieir local conditions, is the Farm Bureau 

 enterprise. All other movements have thus far 

 largely lacked close contact and understanding be- 

 tween the rural people and the state institutions for 

 their aid. The problems are too diverse, the dis- 

 tances too great, the facilities of the institution which 

 are largely consumed in other directions are inade- 

 quate to give the local contact with and under- 

 standing of the problems and queries "presented by 

 the farm that are essential to effective aid. There 

 was need of an agency to stand between the farmer 

 and the various state and federal sources of infor- 

 mation and aid. Such an agency should be head- 

 quartered locally and should be familiar with local 



