a different matter from setting up a formal program, promoting a definite goal, and urging widespread sudden adjustments of farm enterprises.

Extension offerings in marketing projects have been emphasized in recent years as an important part of extending economic information as to price trends; analysis of price fluctuations; internal organization and operation of marketing units; methods of organizing cooperatives; principles of cooperation; and methods of improving practices in assembling, grading, and packing agricultural products.

Twenty-two institutions reported marketing projects under way with State specialists as leaders in developing the marketing program of work. The reports indicated 73 per cent of the time of these specialists was spent upon cooperative marketing with the range varying from 10 per cent in one State to 100 per cent in seven States.

The principal services rendered to cooperatives by the specialists were reported as follows: Advice as to methods of organizing cooperatives, 18 institutions; discussion of cooperative principles with farm groups, 15; improving accounting and business practices, 14; conducting grading and packing schools, 13; preparation of literature in cooperative marketing, 5; establishment of a market price news service, 4; obtaining and signing members to contracts, 2; and assisting in locating new markets, 2.

In many of the States without marketing specialists the county agricultural agents have developed such phases of the work as, grading demonstrations, formation of local cooperative units, discussion of principles of group marketing, and improvement of business practices of existing cooperatives.

A closely related field of work being offered in nine States through specialists is known as extension work in rural organization. Projects in this field embrace such activities as recreation, development of the drama in rural communities, providing monthly programs for local extension units, and formation of community organization units as active participating groups in the county programs of work. Of the nine institutions reporting the employment of such specialists, one uses two full-time workers and another one part-time and two full-time specialists.

The large place that child care and parental training has in the minds of those directing home economics extension was indicated by reports from 17 institutions stating that the next expansion of subject-matter teaching will be in this field. Ten indicated new development in the managerial phases of home making, including the handling of family finance. Others mentioned plans for expanding the projects in home literature and in family relations.

A much-needed development is the preparation and use of more bulletins and other aids to extension publicity in both the adult and junior work in home economics. In the junior program the development desired by 15 out of 29 institutions reporting lies clearly in the direction of raising the standard of the offerings.

Thus practically all the fields of direct value in the occupation of farming and home making are included in the Smith-Lever program. But these are classifications of a much larger number of activities; they do not imply systematic instruction covering each of the areas of knowledge included. The actual work carried on in a given community will vary from time to time in accordance with specific needs and interests of the local situation and will represent at a given time only a very restricted aspect of any one of these subject-matter fields. Thus the specific subject matter of instruction at any time is in large part determined by analysis of specific situations in the local community or county. In a community interested in the dairy industry, for instance, analysis may reveal a prevalence of low-producing cows. Representatives of the local community participate in the analysis and readily recognize the need for corrective measures. The subject matter is thus determined both by the specific problem and by recognition of the problem by the community. Classification of the interests and problems thus embodied in Smith-Lever extension teaching has little meaning beyond that of displaying the combined scope of specific activities carried on throughout the country. The important matters are (1) the method whereby these specific activities are selected for instruction purposes, and (2) the means used to coordinate and develop specific projects into a balanced program of work for the community, county, and the State.

Developing County Program

The procedure ordinarily followed in developing county programs of work in any county organized for cooperative extension service, centers about the county agents in their relation to the various. groups comprising the local cooperating organizations.

Two common methods of formulating county programs have been developed. One may be designated as the county committee plan in which selected representatives are brought together for the consideration of important county problems and needs. Committees are usually formed, projects selected, and a program of work formulated with the county agents serving as advisers and as guides of procedure.

The second plan is known as the community committee plan in which the county is districted into community units, each with a

local committee serving with the agents in selecting projects and developing the desired program of work. A combination of the two methods in various forms is noted from the reports.

The important conclusion is that definite plans of procedure have been developed to bring local interests into prominence and to foster the formation of the county program from within, rather than bringing to the county a standardized ready-made plan, often unsuited to local conditions and usually initiated under difficult conditions of local interest and reception.

This is illustrated by the ways in which the agents work with the local organizations. In 38 of the States the agents meet regularly with their cooperating committees and in 33 of these they are responsible for planning the programs and reports for the meetings. It is customary for the agents to report regularly to this committee both in agriculture and in home economics, but ordinarily they do not serve as officers of such local groups. In eight

of the States the agents were reported as serving as secretaries, and in two of the States as chairmen.

Relations of agents to local committees.-The most common procedure followed by extension agents in most of the States in agriculture, home and club projects is given in Table 24.

TABLE 24.-Number of institutions reporting responsibilities of agents with local committees in program building

The large number of institutions that indicate the agent's part in guiding program construction shows that this dependence upon agent leadership is the general rule. In view of the importance necessarily given to local participation in all phases of the county extension program, it is difficult to see what other method might be used to secure decision concerning adoption of specific projects. Yet more than one-fourth of the institutions emphasized inadequate and poorly planned programs as one of the important weaknesses of Smith-Lever extension and one-third regarded the improvement of county programs as one of the essential next steps in perfecting the Smith-Lever system of education.

Too many county programs are thrown together by mere statements of problems or needs, entirely unsupported by statistical evi

dence, by analysis to the factors involved, or by a study of their relative importance and their susceptibility to attack and solution. Often the programs are all inclusive and so general and indefinite in statement as to methods of procedure as to result in merely a routine listing of every problem or need mentioned by some one as requiring attention. Progress would be made if the projects could be limited in number, the elements of each carefully considered, means of attack analyzed, and strong, definite efforts centered on a few projects.

Correlation of home and agricultural programs.-Thirty-one institutions stressed the need of more closely correlating the agricultural and home economic projects that make up the county programs. Without doubt the economic, or income-making projects, are uppermost in the minds of the agricultural agents and the groups with whom these projects are developed. On the other hand, the humanistic and social values of the home projects are constantly in mind and receive due emphasis in the process of developing these projects. That common understanding of viewpoints and cooperation of local agencies in promoting a well-balanced program is essential to attaining the best results is at once apparent.

Suggestions for developing such correlation in program building include joint planning of the program by the agricultural and the home agents, adoption of projects in which each may contribute assistance, such as farmstead beautification and community recreation, frequent conferences between county and State workers in both fields, and opportunities for each group to obtain the viewpoints of the other.

The development of superior programs depends upon intensive study of the problems of rural development, thorough analysis, both economic and social, and of a limited number of immediate and long-time needs of communities, counties, and State. This must be supported by a more complete determination on the part of State administrative officials and county agents to adhere to definite longtime objectives in spite of numerous calls for emergency help. This will require strong central administrative supervision of programs, well-trained specialists, and county extension agents more adequately trained in general social and economic principles. Only thus will "organized" effort replace discursive work, the long-time viewpoint be substituted for "expedient " program making, and a factual basis underlie the adoption of the projects.

Extension Teaching

The teaching carried on in Smith-Lever extension is quite different in method and means used from that of resident instruction.

This is evident from the way offerings are determined and organized in Smith-Lever extension as compared with the courses and curricula of the college. Wide departure from resident teaching practices result from the organization and procedure imposed upon Smith-Lever work by the informal character of the relationship between those taught and those who teach. The emphasis is upon the initiative of the learner, and the task of the Smith-Lever service is largely one of making easier or facilitating the processes of selfinstruction. The aids to self-directed activity, therefore, occupy a much larger place in the picture than is the case of regular school work. It is the purpose of this section of the Smith-Lever extension report to describe some of the methods and means used in Smith-Lever work, to record certain facts in regard to their prevalence and to comment upon their utility. Seven such aids to learning will be discussed: (1) Lecture method, (2) demonstration, (3) the personal advisory method, (4) correspondence instruction, (5) publication, (6) visual aids, and (7) the radio.

Lecture method.-For many years the holding of farmers' institutes or itinerant subject-matter presentation by the lecture method constituted the principal form of extension teaching. Since the passage of the Smith-Lever law in 1914, with consequent organization of county agent work and demonstration methods of teaching, the number of farmers' institutes has declined, as represented in Table 25.

TABLE 25.-Farmers' institutes conducted by Smith-Lever extension, year ending June 30, 1927

1 Institutes may have 1 or 2 sessions per day and may extend 1, 2, or 3 days.

211 States reporting.