EFFECTIVENESS OF EXTENSION IN REACHING RURAL PEOPLE 5 
times ; and in Colorado these same factors had caused the abandon- 
ment of large numbers of dry-land farms, resulting from the subdi- 
vision of range land during the period of high prices. In New York 
low prices for potatoes, cabbage, fruit, grain, and milk caused wide- 
spread discontent. In California almost unprecedented drought dur- 
ing 1924 was an added discouraging influence. It is probable that 
under these unfavorable economic conditions farmers and farm 
women interviewed gave information less favorable to extension work 
than would have been the case during a prosperous season. 
GENERAL INFORMATION RELATING TO FARMS STUDIED 
Records were obtained from 3,954 farms and homes. Of this num- 
ber 549 were for Marshall County, Iowa; 1,225 for Chenango, Mon- 
roe, and Jefferson Counties, N. Y.; 765 for Logan County, Colo.; 
and 1,415 for Stanislaus and Butte Counties, Calif. In the case of 
74 per cent of the farms, the operators were the owners. (Table 2.) 
The highest percentage of owner-operators was in the California 
areas and the lowest percentage in the Iowa area. The average size 
of farm was 159 acres, ranging from 355 in Colorado to 83 in Cali- 
fornia. Telephones were found in 44 per cent of the homes in the 
New York, Colorado, and California areas. Fifty-two per cent of 
the farms in these three States were situated on improved roads. 
These 3,954 farms were situated at an average distance of 14 miles 
from the county extension office. The longest average distance was 
18 miles in New York and the shortest 10 miles in California. 
Table 2. — General information relating to farms included in study 
Item 
Xumber 
Percentage 
Farm and home records obtained 
3.954 
2,945 
159 
1 1,519 
1 1, 756 
14 
100 
Farms operated by owners. .-. --. ----- - - 
74 
Average size of farms... . . ... . . 
Homes having telephones .. 
44 
Farms located on improved roads 
Average distance, to county extension office 
miles.- 
52 
1 For three States only, as this information was not obtained in Iowa. 
CONTACT WITH EXTENSION WORKERS AND PARTICIPATION IN 
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES 
In three of the four States concerned — Iowa, New York, and 
California — the farm bureau has been the principal farmers' or- 
ganization cooperating with the extension forces in promoting ox- 
tension work. In two of the States— New York and California — 
home bureaus or home departments of the farm bureau have been 
developed to assist in forwarding the home demonstration program. 
Of the farm operators in Iowa, New York, and California, 34 per 
cent were enrolled as farm-bureau members, and an additional 21 
per cent had been members previously. In the New York and 
California areas, 16 per cent of the farm women were enrolled in the 
home bureau or in the home department of the farm bureau, and an 
additional 9 per cent had been previously enrolled. Some member 
of the farm family had functioned as a local leader of extension activi- 
ties in the ease of 11 per cent of all the farms. (Table 3.) 
