THE BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW 407 



$4,750,000 TO BE SPENT THIS YEAR IN FARM DEMONSTRATION WORK 



The Smith-Lever agricultural extension act of May 8, 1914, provides for a 

 permanent national system of agricultural extension work to be carried on 

 with Federal and State funds through the State agricultural colleges in coop- 

 eration with the United States Department of Agriculture, by means of instruc- 

 tion and practical demonstrations in agriculture and home economics to persons 

 not attending the colleges. 



The Smith-Lever Act appropriates money as follows: 



(1) $10,000 of Federal funds annually to each of the 48 States. 



(2) In addition to the $480,000, the act appropriates for 1915-16 $600,000 

 of Fedei'al Smith-Lever funds. This sum will be increased annually by 

 $500,000 of Federal Smith-Lever funds until 1923, when the annual Govern- 

 ment appropriation will be set at $4,580,000. The additional appropriation is 

 divided among the States in the proportion that the rural population of each 

 State bears to the total rural population of the States. Any State, however, 

 to share in this extra Federal Smith-Lever fund must appropriate and spend in 

 extension work at least an equal amount of money from sources within the 

 State. The money from the States will bring the joint demonstration fund to 

 $1,680,000 in 1915-16. 



In addition to the Smith-Lever funds, however, the Department of Agri- 

 culture during 1916 will expend from its own appropriations for farmers' co- 

 operative demonstration work and for other direct field instruction in special 

 subjects over $1,025,000. States will raise from sources within the State and 

 spend for demonstration work at a total of $2,650,000. This will make a 

 grand total of $4,750,000 to be spent in the fiscal year 1915-16 in bringing 

 practical and helpful instruction to the farmer and his family in their own 

 communities. 



(We are glad to give space to the above in the Review, for we 

 see a possibility of the honey producers being benefited by this Act, 

 providing, we claim our own. Never in the history of our country 

 was there such a gigantic amount of money available for promotion 

 work among the agriculturist as this. Think of it, $4,750,000 to be 

 spent annually, bringing practical and helpful instructions to the 

 farmer and his family in their own communities. The National and 

 state beekeepers' associations should see to it that we, as honey pro- 

 ducers, get our share of the Smith-Lever appropriation spent in 

 representing our pursuit. One or more able men, well versed in 

 brood diseases, as well as general beekeeping should be paid from 

 this fund in each state. Now is the time to act, for if we do not 

 claim our own at the start, it will be harder to make out a case of 

 necessity, later. We see a possibility here in getting at the fellow 

 who will not attend conventions for the demonstrator visits the 

 * rural communities, even at their homes in many cases. Every 

 state secretary should make it a point to immediately get in touch 

 with the proper officials, which is understood to be your State Agri- 



