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of the cooperative extension system involved in the work of the county agricultural agents, home-demonstration agents, and boys' and girls' clubs.

The service directly administered regular and emergency appropriations aggregating $6,016,060, and had administrative and advisory relations regarding the expenditure of $3,520,000 of Federal funds ($1,440,000 for agricultural experiment stations and $2,080,000 for cooperative extension work) and $1,600,000 of State funds used as an offset for Federal funds under the cooperative extension act. In addition, the agricultural colleges and experiment stations used in experimental and extension enterprises over $7,000,000 derived from sources within the States.

On June 30, 1918, the force carried on the rolls of the States Relations Service aggregated about 6,800 employees. The State agricultural experiment stations employed about 2,000 persons, of whom about 700 did some extension work. The total number of persons employed in cooperative extension work in agriculture and home. economics was about 7,500.

When the European war began the United States had just entered on the development of a national system of extension work in agriculture and home economics which involved not only the practical training of farmers and their families, but also their organization for individual and community action in the improvement of agricultural practice and the economic and social condition of rural homes and communities. This system combines the scientific and educational forces of the United States Department of Agriculture and the State agricultural colleges with the practical knowledge and experience of multitudes of farm men and women organized to conduct demonstrations on their own farms and to take the leadership in helpful movements in their own communities. Well-trained Federal, State, and county experts work hand in hand with voluntary workers representing the most intelligent and progressive elements of the rural population.

The entry of the United States into the war found this extension system partly organized in all the States and in about half the counties. Immediately it was seen that both for the benefit of the farming people and for the promotion of the general welfare it was highly desirable that every agricultural county should have this organization as soon as possible. In this way both Government and people would have the best means for bringing about the agricultural production and food conservation required by war conditions. The Government would also be kept informed regarding the attitude and needs of the farming people and could enlist their sympathy and support in those patriotic endeavors, such as the liberty loan, Red Cross, and other campaigns, by which information regarding our war aims and requirements is disseminated and means for the successful prosecution of the war are secured.

The Secretary of Agriculture recommended and Congress provided means for the rapid expansion of the extension system. The States Relations Service has been principally engaged in this work during the past year. And as the organization of the extension service has grown, practically all branches of the service have contributed in

some way to meeting its needs. The chief burden has necessarily fallen on the two extension offices. The Office of Experiment Stations has promoted extension work in Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico, and Guam, which had regular appropriations available for this purpose. The office has also encouraged the stations in the States to adapt their work to the emergency conditions, which they have done in large measure, not only supplying the needed information but taking an active part in the various efforts for stimulating production, avoidance of unnecessary loss, and making the farmers' efforts more effective.

The Office of Home Economics made special studies of war foods and diets and prepared numerous publications which were widely used in connection with the extension work, as well as through general distribution by the department and the Food Administration.

The Office of the Director dealt with a large number of administrative problems growing out of relationships, projects, and expenditures under the regular and emergency extension acts and a vast amount of details connected with the appointment of thousands of new employees, authorizations for their work, and settlement of their accounts.

The broad range of the extension work, especially under war conditions, has brought the service into more or less definite relationships, not only with the department bureaus, the State agricultural colleges, and the county organizations with which they ordinarily deal, but also with the Federal Board for Vocational Education, the Bureau of Education, State boards and departments of agriculture and education, the Food Administration, the Council of National Defense, and other National and State organizations dealing with war problems. The extension forces and the organizations supporting their work deal in some way with practically all the problems of agriculture and country life. Increasing attention has therefore to be given to the formation of helpful and harmonious relationships with other organizations operating to any extent in the same field. Considering all the circumstances a remarkable task has been accomplished. On July 1, 1918, at least 2,435 counties had the services of an agricultural agent and 1,715 counties had a home-demonstration agent. There were also home-demonstration agents in about 200 of the larger cities. About 2,000,000 boys and girls were connected with the agricultural and home economics clubs.

Much remains to be done to perfect this organization and make it in all the counties a permanent factor in the development of the community. A broad foundation has been laid. The American farmer and his family are now in close personal touch with a large corps of well-trained men and women so linked with Federal and State institutions for the promotion of agriculture that the farming people can readily avail themselves of the results of scientific research and practical experience the world over to aid them in their work on the farm and their life in the home. Fully two-thirds of this extension organization has been developed during the past year.

Through the home-demonstration agents, boys' and girls' clubs, and gardening specialists very many city people now have expert advice and assistance in food production and conservation. They are also getting a better understanding of the problems involved in

the production and marketing of farm products and are being brought into more helpful and sympathetic relationships with their neighbors on the farms.

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR.

The general administrative business of the States Relations Service very greatly increased during the past year. Many new problems connected with expanding and more complicated relationships with the department bureaus, other Federal agencies, the agricultural colleges, and other State institutions and organizations brought the necessity for large numbers of conferences and much correspondence, together with the consideration of very many project agreements.

The routine business connected with appointments, accounting, records, property, distribution of publications, and other material to the field forces, etc., was very large. This involved the employment of many persons unfamiliar with the requirements of Government business and threw a very heavy burden on the chief administrative officers and their trained assistants. A large amount of overtime work was required and cheerfully performed in this and other branches of the service. The loyalty and self-sacrificing spirit of the service's force in all its grades deserves great commendation.

EDITORIAL DIVISION.

W. H. BEAL, Chief.

The work of this division included (1) the handling in an editorial capacity of all of the publications of the service except Experiment Station Record; (2) the business connected with the collection, preparation, and distribution of illustrative material for the use of employees and collaborators of the service.

The general character of the editorial work was not modified materially during the year. There was a slight decrease in the total number and volume of publications issued, but a relative increase in those of a more popular character needed especially in the extension work of the service bearing on food production and conservation.

The service issued during the year 95 documents aggregating 4,218 pages, as follows: Seventeen numbers of Experiment Station Record, 2 reports, 10 technical bulletins, 1 article in the Journal of Agricultural Research, 10 publications of the insular stations, 8 Farmers' Bulletins, 5 illustrated lectures (with lantern slides), 40 documents relating to cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, and 2 administrative circulars. The service also contributed four numbers to the series of circulars of the Secretary's Office. In addition to these formal documents the service issued, either in printed or in mimeographed form, a number of informal documents, including leaflets of various kinds, blank forms, record books, and the like, required in connection with special features of the work of the service, and cooperated with the Office of Information in the preparation of a considerable amount of press and other informational material of wider general interest especially connected with the emergency work of the department relating to food production and conservation.

There was a marked increase in the work connected with the collection and preparation of illustrative material for the use of employees and collaborators of the service. The carefully selected collection of photographs secured from the various bureaus of the department and from field workers of the service was supplemented by a considerable number of photographs taken either by our own force or in cooperation with the Division of Publications. The collection now contains about 9,000 photographs, of which about 7,500 are mounted, classified, and catalogued for ready use. Over 2,000 new photographs were added during the year. The total number of lantern slides made was 9,740, of which 2,466 were colored.

In addition to cooperating with other offices of the service in securing suitable illustrative material for their work, the division organized several series of lantern slides for special purposes. With a view to aiding the emergency extension work, the preparation of several series of slides was undertaken, as, for example, on wheat, corn, pork, and alfalfa production. These slides are especially intended for the use of extension specialists, county agents, or other workers cooperating or collaborating with the service who are already familiar with the subject matter and desire a number of good illustrations to reinforce their talks or lectures. It is the purpose to develop in this way a flexible collection of slides that will meet a large variety of local needs and conditions.

The division is making a special feature of lantern-slide color work, the colorists employed being given opportunity whenever possible to study at first hand the natural coloring of the subject matter with which they deal. As a result their work is of unusually high quality. In addition to the coloring of lantern slides, some attention is being given to the coloring of bromide enlargements.

About 800 shipments, aggregating 32,000 slides, were made to users of the slides within the service or to schools collaborating with the service, and to a very limited extent to others. A limited number of charts were made for the use of the various offices of the service.

The force of the division was increased during the year by the appointment of a specialist in visual instruction, to have charge of the work relating to illustrative material, and an additional lantern-slide colorist.

INVESTIGATIONS ON AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS.

ALVIN DILLE, Acting in charge.

These investigations dealt as heretofore with methods and subject matter of instruction in agriculture, especially in secondary, and elementary rural schools.

Increased demands developed during the year out of the war situation, and as a result of quickened interest in agricultural education. The situation created by the war was reflected in the topics selected for publication. The bulletins, documents, and leaflets which dealt with pork production, increase of food production, food utilization, etc., were given the right of way and as much as possible was done to show teachers how to make their school work in agriculture and home economics serve the present needs of the country.

Two bulletins for teachers of agriculture in secondary schools, one on Courses in Secondary Agriculture for Southern Schools (Third

and Fourth Years) and the other on Judging Sheep as a Subject of Instruction in Secondary Schools, were published. Eleven circulars were also published in which up-to-date subject matter in a number of branches of agriculture, prepared in cooperation with the bureaus of the department, was presented in suitable form for use in secondary schools. A bulletin on the home project as a phase of vocational agricultural education was prepared at the request of the Federal Board for Vocational Education, and submitted to the board for publication. A bulletin on Lessons on Pork Production for Rural Elementary Schools and a revision of one on Lessons on Corn for Rural Elementary Schools were issued. A similar bulletin on Lessons on Dairying for Rural Schools was prepared. The series of leaflets on the use of individual Farmers' Bulletins in elementary schools was continued and 10 were prepared, of which number 8 were printed. The classified lists of publications, lists of references, sources of material, etc., for school use increased in number. Because of the necessity of frequent revisions these lists are now multigraphed.

While the anticipated work under the Smith-Hughes vocationaleducation act has stimulated certain secondary schools, it is quite evident that there is an awakened interest in agricultural instruction on the part of the elementary schools, normal schools, and other institutions. The number of schools reported as engaged in teaching agriculture has not increased at a phenomenal rate, but in many cases the quality of the work has greatly improved. This was shown in an increased demand for assistance on the part of many schools and colleges and has included the call for illustrative material, publications, and information as to ways and means of teaching agriculture.

The demand for lantern slides has been far in excess of that of any other year, and the available sets have proven entirely inadequate. The office has prepared lantern slide sets with lecture syllabi on How to Teach Poultry Lessons, Sheep Judging and Breeds of Sheep, Tomato Growing, and one set on phases of instruction in garden practice. Sets which were previously in use are being revised and lecture syllabi prepared for those which have none. Lantern-slide circuits are being tried out in Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Texas in cooperation with State officials. By this means sets of slides reach many institutions in succession before they are returned to the office, thus requiring less lost time for transportation. Plans have been developed by means of which illustrative material of various types may be made more available to schools in the several States, especially to help State officials to prepare duplicates of the material.

The beginning of the administration of the Vocational Education Act brought demands for a large amount of service which has been rendered through correspondence or personal conferences. A mailing list of the schools receiving aid has grown rapidly and the requests for assistance have increased in proportion. Not less than 3,000 secondary schools giving bona fide agricultural courses are now on this list.

A memorandum of cooperation between the Federal Board for Vocational Education, the Bureau of Education of the Department of the Interior, and the States Relations Service contemplates a series of investigations under the Smith-Hughes Act, a part of which