November, 1911.] 



443 



Agricultural Education. 



appeal to the interests of the farmer. 

 It must find the man and not compel 

 the man to find it. It must be a home 

 remedy. 



The only remedy that can be success- 

 fully applied to help all the rural people, 

 one that will be effective and immediate, 

 is to increase the net earnings of farmers 

 and farm labourers. The paramount 

 issue now is how most wisely and 

 effectively to aid all the rural people. 

 If each farmer is shown how to produce 

 twice as much to the acre as he now 

 produces and at less cost, it will be a 

 profit in which all rural classes will 

 share, and will be the basis of the greatest 

 reform ever known to rural life. 



How can the knowledge of better 

 agricultural methods be conveyed to the 

 masses in a way so effective that the 

 methods will be accepted and their 

 practice become common ? For many 

 years the United States Department of 

 Agriculture, the agricultural colleges, 

 experiment stations, the agricultural 

 press, the farmers' institutes, and the 

 National and State bulletins upon agri- 

 culture have thrown light upon almost 

 every topic relating to the farm. These 

 have been of great assistance to farmers 

 who are alert and progressive, but the 

 masses, especially in the South, have 

 scarcely been affected. There came a 

 time under cotton-boll weevil conditions 

 when it was found necessary to reach 

 and influence the poorer class. The 

 co-operative demonstration plan was 

 then tested. 



The Farmers' Co-operative Demon- 

 stration Work aims at several things :— 



(1) To reform agriculture and make it 

 an occupation of profit and pleasure. 



(2) To improve rural conditions. 



(3) To broaden and enrich rural life. 



(4) To make the farm attractive aud 

 country residence desirable. 



Organization of this Special Work. 



As organized under the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry the working forces of 

 the Farmers' Co-operative Demonstra- 

 tion Work consist now of one Director 

 with assistants, 16 State agents, and 

 188 district and local agpnts. Local 

 agents must be practical farmers and 

 thoroughly instructed in their duties by 

 the State and district agents. Semi- 

 annually State meetings of agents are 

 called for instruction, at which the 

 director or an assistant from Washington 

 is present. Weekly reports showing 

 work accomplished "each day are made 

 by all agents to the director. 



The campaigns for the ensuing year 

 are planned in September, and active 



work commences iu October by calling 

 public meetings in every district to be 

 worked, at which is shown the great 

 advantage to all the people of increasing 

 the crop yield two, three or four fold, 

 and it is made clear that this can be done 

 by adopting better methods. In counti y 

 villages the banker, the merchant, 

 and the editor join with the leading 

 farmers of the section in indorsing the 

 progressive plans of the demonstration 

 work ; farmers agree to follow instruc- 

 tions, and demonstration plots of one or 

 more acres are located so as to place a 

 sample of the best farming in each 

 neighbourhood of a county or district. 

 There must be enough of these to allow 

 every farmer to see one or more during 

 the crop-growing period. The necessary 

 work on the plot must be done by the 

 farmer and not by a Government agent, 

 because the whole object lesson is there- 

 by brought closer to the people. The 

 demonstrating farmer understands it 

 better because he does the work, and his 

 neighbours believe that what he has 

 done they can do. 



Instruction of the Farmer. 

 Each month during the season instruc- 

 tions aie sent to every demonstrator and 

 co-operator, clearly outlining the plan 

 for managing the crop. In addition, a 

 local agent is expected to call on each 

 demonstrating farmer monthly and 

 explain anything not understood in the 

 instructions. 



Field Schools. 

 Previous notice by letter is given to 

 all the co-operating farmers (such as are 

 instructed in the work and agree to 

 follow instructions) in a neighbourhood 

 to meet the agent on a certain date at a 

 given demonstration farm, where the 

 crop and plans are thoroughly discussed. 

 This is called a "field school," and has 

 been marvellously effective in arousing 

 local interest. At such meetings and on 

 all occasions where the agents meet 

 farmers, the following fundamental 

 requirements for good farming are dis- 

 cussed by the aid of notes sent out from 

 the central office. 



(1) Prepare a deep and thoroughly 

 pulverized seed bed, well drained ; break 

 in the fall to the depth of 8, 10, or 12 

 inches, according to the soils, with im- 

 plements that will not bring too much of 

 the subsoil to the surface. The foregoing 

 depths should be reached gradually. 



(2) Use seed of the best variety, 

 intelligently selected and carefully 

 stored. 



(3) In cultivated crops give the rows 

 and the plants in the rows a space suited 

 to the plant, the soil, and the climate. 



