58 BULLETIN 1295, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
the technique of land clearing. A large proportion had no experience 
in managing an enterprise, or were in their present condition because 
they had been poor managers. 
Consequently, nearly all the companies were making some effort to 
- guide their settlers, but with about half the companies it was inci- 
dental to their other activities. Their frequent trips with prospects . 
gave them a chance to see many of their settlers several times a year. 
At the other extreme, several of the companies employed agricultural 
advisors who called upon the settlers regularly and took records of 
their progress. One company employed in addition a woman to 
look after the home, poultry, and garden work. Another company 
was employing a land- -clearing demonstrator. Project XIII had the 
most elaborate extension program, even issuing mimeographed sheets 
of information to settlers. This project was working with settlers 
that averaged nearly 387 years of age, whose net worth averaged only 
$292 at time of settlement, and was allowing an unusually large mar- 
gin of credit. It is easy to see why extension work and close super- 
vision were necessary. Several of the companies were making what- 
ever use they could of the regular county agricultural advisor. 
DEMON STRATION FARMS 
None of the 15 projects really had a demonstration farm and few 
land companies in the Lakes States believe in demonstration farms. 
They consider it better policy to use the successful farms in their ter- 
ritory as examples of what can be done and how to do it. Project VI 
had a farm that was so named, but its activities were demonstrational 
only in a limited way. Project XIII also had a central farm, but 
it was principally headquart ters for the company’s elaborate program 
of development and supervision. The difficulty with demonstration 
farms as parts of colonization projects is that they usually show 
what can be done if enough labor and capital is expended, and especi- 
ally if enough high- -priced management is employed. They do not 
show what can be done with an economical combination of the labor, 
capital, and quality of management available to the ordinary settler. 
Two companies in the Lakes “States, not included in the fifteen, were 
using demonstration farms in an unfair way, employing the crops 
grown at great expenditures for fertilizer and irrigation to deceive 
prospects as to the possibilities of the land. 
PATERNALISM 
Companies with liberal credit programs can not escape being pa- 
ternalistic. The more lberal they are, the more paternalistic they 
must be. To be secure they must look after their loans. They 
must even tell their settlers what to do and what not to do in many 
cases. In so doing, however, they lay themselves open to a great 
deal of trouble. Farming is very uncertain. Frosts may occur at 
untimely periods. Drought or disease may attack the crops. In 
fact, a dozen things may happen to make a carefully considered plan 
prove a failure in any year or over a series of years. An example 
is found in the program of one land company in encouraging their 
settlers to build silos. It presently developed that either their 
settlers were not ready for silos or that the land was too far north 
for the profitable use of a silo, 
