34 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
demonstration agents. Perhaps the great¬ 
est service of all is the indirect service and 
this cannot be expressed in dollars or 
numbers. For example, it is difficult to 
place a value on the work with the young 
folks in their tomato, corn, pig and poul¬ 
try clubs and the assistance given in the 
teaching of agriculture; the holding of 
agricultural days, in the schools, which 
have tended to bring* parents into closer 
touch with, and stimulate a keener interest 
in, the work of the school and the teacher. 
It is impossible to figure the direct returns 
from the economics in which many of 
the women were given their first lesson 
in the proper care and preparation of 
food, care of sick, rearing of children and 
the many suggestions for lightening of 
household and home duties. No figure 
will represent the inspiration received, 
often for the first time, at the several 
meetings held. These instances and many 
more that are similar, must find their 
justification in the minds of, the leaders 
and sponsors for the moment; they will 
directly swell bank accounts by increased 
yield of corn and other crops, but they 
will also build for a bigger, broader and 
more satisfactory rural Florida. 
Discussion. 
Mr. A. P. Spencer: Of course, you 
realize a good deal depends on the county 
agent. He must be a man of mature 
judgment, have good ideas, and must be 
in harmony with the people’s wishes. 
It is our purpose to follow this work 
up in as definite a way as we know how. 
We have not found any real opposition in 
carrying this work out in various coun¬ 
ties. In the past year, the number of 
agents has been increased ioo per cent. 
We find encouragement wherever we have 
taken up the work. In the past year we 
have received encouragement and co¬ 
operation from a good many business 
houses, manufacturing firms, and the 
bankers of the state appropriated this year 
a liberal prize for the Corn Club boys. 
The Women’s Clubs have also made a 
liberal appropriation for the Canning 
Clubs. Different counties and individuals 
are taking an interest in it, and I believe 
the demonstration work is having its ef¬ 
fect. 
But I want to emphasize this fact; that 
the United States government is willing 
and anxious to finance this work with a 
liberal appropriation, but they do ask that 
the counties show some interest in it them¬ 
selves. This year, the United States gov¬ 
ernment will hand to Florida a little over 
$16,000 in the demonstration work, and 
require the state to appropriate only 
$6,000. 
I feel that the demonstration work can 
be applied in a good many directions it 
is not now applied. It is co-operative work 
and depends on the farmers for co-opera¬ 
tion and support. The report for last 
year has just come from the press, and 
anyone who would like to get it can re¬ 
ceive a copy by writing the Experiment 
Station at Gainesville. 
Mr. L. B. Skinner: I have often 
wondered what would happen if all the 
lands I pass over in Florida from one 
grove to another, were set out in citrus 
groves. It has never seemed to me that 
this land is fit for anything else; that is, 
you cannot grow much else on it at a 
