WHAT DO FARMER'S STUDY?
What Do Farmer's Study ? THE PAST fifty years have seen the rise and development of the agricultural college, the farmers' institutes, and the agricultural experiment stations. Farm papers and...
...1 farmer in every 23.8 has a few farm books 1 farmer in every 11 gets personal instruction from county demonstration agents in the South...
...put into practice something learned from them, 54 per cent...
...Of the farmers receiving bulletins, 48 per cent...
...1 farmer in every 159 gets personal instruction in the North and West 1 farmer in every 2.3 stated that none of these agents was helpful in his farming...
...of this number favor the bulletins as the most helpful source of information on farming, 14 per cent...
...favored the bulletins, 24 per cent...
...of those attending institutes put into practice suggestions made there...
...The results of this investigation are published in a pamphlet by the Department of Agriculture...
...favored the demonstration agents, while 52 per cent...
...Briefly summarized, the result of this investigation is as follows: There were 3698 farmers personally interviewed...
...favored the farm papers...
...An attempt to answer this question was made recently by the United States Department of Agriculture, so an investigation was made in four sections of the country, the East, the South, the Central North and Middle West, where all these agencies except the demonstration agent have long been in operation...
...1 farmer in every 14.5 writes to agricultural institutions for advice...
...favor the farmers' institute, while 66 per cent...
...1 farmer in every 1.5 takes a farm paper 1 farmer in every 2.3 receives agricultural bulletins 1 farmer in every 3.3 attends farmers' institutes 1 farmer in every 6.5 belongs to some agricultural organization...
...of those receiving instruction from demonstration agents in the South put into practice the instructions given...
...The question arises as to the efficiency of each of these agencies in actually reaching the man on the farm and influencing his practices...
...Four agents, each familiar with agriculture, were started out, either afoot or on a motor cycle, and asked to visit every farmer on both sides of the road over a route varying from 400 to 700 miles in length...
...Farm papers and agricultural books have been published widely in this country for more than 100 years...
...favor farm papers...
...The replies from 469 farmers who received agricultural bulletins, attended farmers' institutes, and took farm papers indicate that 21 per cent...
...while 79 per cent...
...The most recent movement along agricultural lines is the county agricultural demonstrator...
...In the case of the 62 farmers who received instruction from county agricultural agents, took farm papers, and received bulletins, practically 11 per cent...
...So far as this survey is an indication, the agricultural press would seem to be at present the most efficient of our agricultural extension agencies in reaching the farmer...
Vol. 5 • April 1913 • No. 16
