ment does not keep the whole house warm as is usual in city houses. About one-third of the homes have running water in at least one room, but only one-fifth have bathtubs. More than one-third of the women have to carry water from wells outside the house. Quite generally the care of kerosene lamps is one of the duties of the farm women. Out-door toilets are used on 85 per cent of the farms. Nearly all the houses are screened. About half of the women have washing machines and carpet sweep ers. Over 90 per cent do their own washing, sewing, and bread-making. The sewing machine is used in most of the farmhouses. Only 15 per cent have power for running machinery in the house, though power is used for farm machinery on nearly half the farms. Of the women reporting, 36 per cent help with the milking, 25 per cent with the livestock, 81 per cent care for chickens, 56 per cent largely care for the garden, 24 per cent help in the field an average of 6-7 weeks during the year, and 33 per cent make butter to sell. Only 11 per cent of those selling butter and 16 per cent of those selling eggs have the money for their own use. Nearly one-third are keeping home and farm accounts. The farm women are now unable in most cases

to have hired help. Only about 14 per cent employ such help and then only for about onethird of the time.

The comparative isolation of the farm home is shown by its being on the average about six miles distant from the high school, three miles from the church, five miles from the market, five and one-half miles from the doctor, 12 miles from the trained nurse and 14 miles from the hospital. This is overcome to a considerable extent by the use of the telephone in 72 per cent of the homes and of the automobile on 62 per cent of the farms.

This survey indicates that the outstanding problems which the extension service for farm women should deal with are: (1) Shortening the working day of the average farm woman, (2) lessening the amount of heavy manual labor she now performs, (3) bringing about higher standards of comfort and beauty for the farm home, (4) safeguarding the health of the farm family, and especially the health of the mother and growing child, and (5) developing and introducing money-yielding home industries where necessary in order to make needed home improvements. To solve these problems immediate efforts should be made: (1) to introduce improved home equipment, especially running water and power machinery and more efficient methods of household management, including rearrangement of kitchens and installation of better heating systems; (2) to help farm people to understand and apply the laws of nutrition and hygiene, through demonstrations in child care and feeding, food selection for the family, home nursing, and the installation of sanitary improvements; (3) to show farmers and their families that investments promoting the comfort, beauty, health and efficiency of the farm home are wise and productive expenditures and very likely the only means of keeping the young people on the farms.

The movement for the more complete organization of the farming people to support the coöperative extension work and to promote the economic and social interest of agriculture and country life continued in 1920 with increasing

strength. The national organization of farm bureaus, entitled the American Farm Bureau Federation, perfected a permanent organization at Chicago in March and held its second annual meeting at Indianapolis in December. At this meeting 32 State Federations of Farm Bureaus were represented by 65 voting delegates. In 13 other States county farm bureaus have been organized to a greater or less extent and in a number of these States federations are being formed. About 1,500,000 members are enrolled in the county farm bureaus. Women are being more generally welcomed to membership in the farm bureaus and already have representation in State and National federations. In some counties boys and girls may also be members of the farm bureau or through their clubs are closely affiliated with it.

As regards commercial activities the general policy of these organizations is now to commit such activities to separate organizations specially formed for such purposes. The farm bureaus are thus becoming organizations in the field of agriculture analagous to chambers of commerce in their relations to other industries.

In 1920 the American Farm Bureau Federation was largely engaged in organizing and strengthening the county farm bureaus. It also dealt with a number of legislative matters pending in Congress. A study of the problems connected with the transportation of agricultural products was undertaken. A conference of representatives of a number of agricultural organizations led to the appointment of a committee of seventeen members to consider and report on the marketing of grain. Similar committees on the marketing of livestock and vegetable crops are being formed. A bureau of farm economics and statistics was established and coöperation with the Bureau of Crop Estimates and Markets of the Department of Agriculture was begun. A special committee undertook the study of tax problems as related to agriculture. In these and other ways the Federation is attempting to investigate the broad national questions relating to agriculture and country life and to interpret the results of similar studies by governmental agencies to the farmers throughout the United States. The main office of the National Federation was located in Chicago, with a branch office in Washington. Mr. J. R. Howard of Iowa was reëlected president of the Federation at the Indianapolis meeting.

During 1920 agricultural agents were employed in the cooperative extension work in about 2000 counties, home demonstration agents in about 800 counties, and paid leaders of boys' and girls' club work in about 300 counties. There were also about 750 extension specialists in the various branches of agriculture and home economics who went out from the agricultural colleges to supplement the work of the county agents. Including the supervisory officers and their assistants, about 5000 persons were engaged in extension work.

In 1919 in the 15 Southern States 246,982 adult farmers conducted demonstrations under the supervision of the county agents on 2,664,723 acres. The largest acreage was with corn, 645,716 acres, with an average yield of 37 bushels per acre, or more than double the average yield of the whole territory. The county agents were especially active in helping to introduce improved livestock and secure the adopting of bet

ter methods of feeding, care and protection against diseases and pests. Tick eradication was greatly promoted and assistance given in stocking counties released from quarantine with improved cattle. The great growth of cooperative marketing and purchasing in the South has been one of the most marked results of extension work. County agents, assisted by marketing specialists, through demonstrations and by instruction and advice aided local and county associations of farmers in the coöperative selling of all kinds of farm produce and livestock and in the coöperative purchasing of a great variety of farm necessities. The Bureau of Markets and State Department of Agriculture coöperated with the extension division of the agricultural colleges in this activity. The value of the products cooperatively purchased or sold through the cooperative efforts during 1919 was $34,534,886, representing a saving to the farmers of $4,547,418 or 13 per cent. In Texas alone coöperative work in cotton grading, classing and stapling together with the information given by extension agencies as to the market value of various grades and staples, gave the farmers increased returns aggregating more than $1,000,000.

Increased interest was manifested in extension work among the negro population both by the white agents and also by a special force of about 150 negro agents employed in counties with a large negro population. This work was more thoroughly organized and provision was made for its general supervision by two field agents attached to the Washington office. Three conferences of both the white and negro State and Federal leaders were held during the year which resulted in a better understand ing of the importance and needs of this work and much encouragement to the workers. The negro agents have not only aided their people along agricultural lines but have also helped to quiet unrest among them due to unwise agitation on economic and social matters.

In the Northern and Western States the county agents made 510,000 farm visits and 1,412,200 farmers called at the agents' offices. They held 81,156 meetings which were attended by 3,580,000 people. About 65,000 demonstrations incident to crop and livestock production were conducted on farms, with a resulting profit due to increased production of over $19,000,000. Under direction of the agents 216,000 farmers selected the seed corn planted on 7,000,000 acres, 187,000 treated seed wheat or oats for smut. Practice relative to various crops was modified on over 130,000 farms; registered sires were secured for 40,000 farms; 163,000 animals were tested for tuberculosis; 400,000 cattle were treated for blackleg, and farmers and veterinarians vaccinated 1,372,000 hogs for cholera; 853 live-stock breeders' associations with a membership of 28,396 were organized; many live-stock shipping associations were organized and numerous auction sales of live stock were successfully conducted. The irrigation and drainage work planned and promoted by the county agents added to the tillable land of the country an area as large as the State of Connecticut. Over 30,000 farmers kept records of their business on forms furnished by the farm management demonstrators. The value of the coöperative business of farmers' exchanges and cooperative associations organized with the aid of the county agents Y-B-20-2

amounted to over $40,000,000 with a saving of about $5,500,000. These organizations also furnished to farmers 118,891 laborers. Much attention was given to the formation of community groups within the counties. This led in many cases to the working out of definite programmes of agricultural improvement by the farm people themselves and the development of local leaders to carry out those programmes with the assistance of the extension agents.

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The work of the county women agents, commonly called "home demonstration agents," while retaining many features of the war-time work relating to food production and conservation, was materially broadened on matters relating to diet, clothing, health, sanitation, household equipment and management, and the social interests of the rural communities. Rural women are thus developing qualities of leadership and aside from membership in local clubs are taking active part along with the men in community groups and county farm bureaus or councils. In 1919 there were in the Southern States 20,323 clubs of rural girls and women, with an enrolment of about 500,000, including nearly 2000 clubs for negro women and girls with a membership of 72,000. Much attention given to home gardening and poultry work, and the canning of the products for sale or home use. The food, including fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish, canned or otherwise preserved, had an estimated value of over $12,000,000. Many egg circles were organized and the members taught to grade and pack their eggs and market them cooperatively. Connected with such enterprises were the development of community canneries, drying plants, curb markets, rest rooms, etc. The agents also assisted in the planning or remodeling of farmhouses, rearranging of kitchens to save labor, installing of water, heating and lighting systems; introduction of home-made and purchased laborsaving devices, and beautification of the home and adjacent grounds.

In the Northern and Western States much the same kinds of work were done by the home demonstration agents. Owing to the high cost of many things used in the rural home and the lack of complete help for domestic work different phases of home management were given much attention. Instruction regarding the making of family budgets and the keeping of home and farm accounts by the women was received with much interest. The rearrangement of kitchens and the introduction of labor-saving devices were things accomplished in an increased number of farm homes. Women gave more attention to gardens, poultry and egg production and beekeeping as means of increasing the family income. Canning as a home industry was also more widely developed. Better child feeding and the more general use of milk and its products in the farmhouse were actively promoted by the home demonstration agents. Home nursing, personal hygiene, and sanitation programmes were more numerous, often with the coöperation of health officers, county nurses and welfare organizations. In several counties in Massachusetts dental clinics in isolated rural communities were held under the auspices of the farm bureaus. I the work relating to the making, repair and conservation of clothing a notable feature was the increased use of the

skill and experience of local leaders. Community enterprises, including among other things coöperative laundries, salvage shops, recreation centres, circulating libraries, magazine circles, clean-up campaigns, improvement of church and school buildings and grounds, were fostered in large measure by the home demonstration agents. Sixty-eight coöperative buying and selling associations, with a membership of about 13,000, were formed in 1919.

In the Northern and Western States 310,115 boys and girls were enrolled in 16,395 clubs and carried on a variety of practical work in gardening, canning, growing corn, potatoes, beans, sugar beets, sorghums, pigs, poultry, sheep, baby-beef, rabbits, and making bread, clothes, etc. Much progress was made in organizing and conducting these clubs on a community basis and fitting their work into the programme adopted by the farm bureaus for the extension work with adults. In addition to the supervision given by the paid State and county club leaders, over 10,000 voluntary community leaders had direct charge of clubs. Farmers and business men are increasingly looking to boys' and girls' club work as the medium through which better practices in farming and homemaking may be secured and trained rural leadership developed.

In the Southern States large numbers of girls worked with the women in a variety of projects relating to agricultural production, canning and different phases of home-making, but about 160,000 boys had separate clubs. The total production of these clubs, including those for negro boys, was valued at $8,000,000. The average yield of corn grown by club members was 48 bushels per acre, as compared with the general average of 21 bushels in the Southern States.

Interest in the club work throughout the country by exhibits of club products and competitive contests by club teams at local, county, State and interstate fairs, encampments, short courses at agricultural colleges, observation trips to different parts of the country, etc.

Extension specialists representing various branches of agriculture and home economics with headquarters at the agricultural colleges were increased in number and their work was more thoroughly organized. They assisted the county agents in handling unusual problems, such as the growing of special crops, improvement of live stock, control of diseases and insect pests of plants and animals, dairying, poultry, marketing, keeping of farm accounts, organizations of coöperative associations, instruction and demonstrations in food and nutrition, clothing, home hygiene and sanitation, household equip ment and management, etc. They also aided in the shaping up of the county and State programmes of extension work, prepared numerous publications, answered inquiries, and gave instruction and demonstrations at numerous movable schools, farmers' institutes, and other meetings.

Extension work in Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico and Guam continued to be carried on through the Federal experiment stations. Settlers coming into the Tanana and Matamuska Valleys in Alaska have been aided in establishing their agricultural operations on the basis of the experience gained by the experiment stations. Distribution of suitable varieties of seeds to various parts of Alaska was also continued.

Extension agents, permanently located on the islands of Hawaii and Mani continued demonstration work with crops and fertilizers and began to organize boys' and girls' clubs and home demonstration work. In Porto Rico meetings of farmers were held throughout the island, information was disseminated through monthly circulars,. demonstrations of dipping cattle to eradicate fever ticks were made, and coöperation of fruit growers was stimulated. In Guam 145 farmers conducted demonstrations with cowpeas, teachers throughout the island were aided in maintaining school gardens, 545 boys and girls were enrolled in clubs, conducted home projects with crops and animals, and made numerous exhibits at an agricultural fair.

Extension work was systematically conducted in Canada, France, Belgium, Spain, India, Burma, and Gold Coast Africa.

In England work was carried on through farmers' institutes, farm schools, local lectures and demonstrations conducted by a county agricultural staff or otherwise. Instruction in cheesemaking was given at several hundred centres through courses for from two to four weeks. Over 700 women's institutes were held in England, Scotland, and Wales.

In Italy about 275 itinerant teachers gave instruction in agricultural subjects, including plant and animal production, silkworm and mulberry culture, cheese-making, plant diseases, use of tractors and other farm machinery. The funds for extension work were provided by the government, provinces, and local organizations.

Over 4500 Farmers' Institutes were held in 35 States by the colleges of agriculture, or State Departments of Agriculture, with an attendance of 1,268,000. Many similar meetings were held by the colleges as part of their agricultural extension work.

The general interests of the coöperative extension work throughout the United States continued to be promoted by two extension offices in the States Relations Service of the Department of Agriculture. The work in each State was administered by an Extension Director, with headquarters at the Agricultural College, who was a joint representative of the Department and the College. Under the Director were State Leaders of county agricultural agents, home demonstration agents and boys' and girls' club work.

For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1920, the total fund available for extension work in the States was about $16,836,000. Of this about $1,025,000 was derived from direct appropriations to the States Relations Service, $175,000 to other bureaus of the Department of Agriculture, $3,580,000 from the Smith-Lever Act, and $1,500,000 from the supplementary Federal fund, making the total Federal contribution $6,280,000. This was met by approximately $10.536,000 from sources within the States, including $4,600,000 to offset the regular and supplementary Smith-Lever funds, $1,618,000 additional State and college funds, $3,727,000 from counties, and $610,000 from farm bureaus and miscellaneous sources. About $8,460,000 was used for the demonstrations and other activities of the county agricultural agents. Much of their work bore on problems of the farm home, but $3,145,000 was allotted to distinctive work in home economics. About $1,100,000 was used for work among boys and girls, about $2,918,000 for the tasks of the specialists,

$950,000 for administration, and $245,000 for publications.

AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATION. The outstanding development of the year was the growing determination of farmers to play a more influential part in the framing of national policies. This attitude was intensified by the critical situation confronting agriculture as the result of the stupendous shrinkage in the value of farm products following the harvests of the year, and found expression in the formulation of definite legislative programmes by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Grange, and other farm organizations. While the year's record of completed legislation was not large, a much greater public realization of the needs of agriculture and its vital importance to the nation was strongly in evidence. The opening of the final session of Congress in December found unusual attention being given to agricultural matters, and several of them were well advanced toward passage by the end of the year.

One of these was a bill designed to assure producers of the right to bargain collectively without liability of prosecution under the various anti-trust laws. It authorized the formation and operation of coöperative agricultural associations, subject to regulation in case of undue price enhancement, attempted monopoly, or other unfair methods of competition. This bill was passed by the House of Representatives, May 31, 1920, and by the Senate December 15th, after amendments placing its administration under the Federal Trade Commission instead of the Secretary of Agriculture. This difference was being adjusted at the close of the year.

A joint resolution was passed December 20th, directing the immediate revival of the activities of the War Finance Corporation suspended in May. The President's veto of this measure was overridden by both the Senate and the House, with substantial majorities. This action was taken with the view of assisting in the financing of the exportation of agricultural and other products to foreign markets by providing special credit facilities. It was hoped that in this way European countries needing foodstuffs and cotton would be able to make purchases, thereby relieving American producers accordingly. An attempt to include in the act either directions or recommendations to the Federal Reserve Board to give greater attention to agricultural requirements in its operations was unsuccessful.

A provision in the annual appropriation act discussed elsewhere (see UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE) authorized the appointment of a joint congressional committee to investigate the feasibility of short-time rural credit legislation. Several amendments were also adopted to the Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916, operations under which, however, were largely suspended pending a decision by the United States Supreme Court as to its constitutionality.

A bill to create a Federal Live-Stock Commission for the regulation of the packing industry received extended consideration in the Senate, an agreement being reached to vote upon it Jan. 24, 1921. Plans submitted by the principal packing-house concerns themselves for a reorganization of the industry under their agreement of the previous year were rejected by the government. Legislation establishing central markets for perishable food products in all large cities and a Federal licensing system for dealers in such

foods was advocated by the Federal Trade Commission.

Numerous other measures were also receiving attention, including tariff legislation imposing high duties on imports of wheat, corn, rice, potatoes, peas, onions, beans, lemons, cattle and sheep, fresh mutton, wool, cotton, and other farm products instituted by the House, December 22; a bill passed by both Houses empowering the Reclamation Service to develop and sell farms for private owners at their expense; a bill to utilize the government air-nitrate plants for fertilizer manufacture, this being the unfinished business before the Senate at the end of the year; and several bills to prohibit speculation in farm products and to prevent the sale of fabrics containing shoddy as virgin wool. The influence of farm organizations was being vigorously exerted in support of most of these measures. Their oppo

sion, however, was being generally manifested to several other propositions, including wholesale land reclamation projects, the imposition of either sales taxes or land taxes by the federal government, and the revival of "daylight saving."

The legislatures of only 11 States were in session in 1920. In Mississippi a commission was appointed to investigate the feasibility of reclaiming waste and cutover lands. New Jersey passed an act to encourage the formation of cooperative agricultural, dairy, and horticultural associations. Virginia revised its laws for the regulation of commission merchants, while in Connecticut a 1919 law requiring the bonding of milk dealers was held unconstitutional. Rhode Island provided for the voluntary licensing of persons making a business of spraying, pruning, and grafting trees.

New dog laws were adopted in Massachusetts and Virginia, looking toward the development of sheep raising. Kentucky prescribed lower interstate rates on agricultural lime, and Virginia revised its laws regulating the sale of that commodity. Kentucky also defined a legal farm fence, and standardized weights of farm products. Crop liens were further regulated in Virginia and billboards on public roads in Massachusetts.

Agricultural interests were more strongly represented than ever before in Canada, notably in Ontario where the so-called Farmers' Party assumed control of the government. A new feeding-stuffs law and a provision standardizing apple barrels and other fruit containers were the most important Dominion measures to be enacted.

In Europe, legislation naturally centred around reconstruction problems, notably as regards the rehabilitation of devastated areas, relations between landlords and tenants, farm labor, coöperation and credit, and the more adequate representation of agriculture in national affairs. Numerous laws designed to ameliorate the status of the actual tiller of the soil went into effect, ranging in scope from radical confiscations in Soviet Russia and various schemes for breaking up large estates in Germany, Poland, Roumania, and other central European countries, to the comparatively conservative Agricultural Bill under consideration in Great Britain. (See AGRICULTURE.)

The principle of compensation by the State to farmers and other private citizens for war losses was fully recognized in France and Belgium. A law enacted in the latter country late in 1919

allowed land owners either to undertake the work of reconstruction themselves, with eventual reimbursement, or to cede their land to the government for reclamation.

The British Seeds Act of 1920 prohibited the sale or sowing of any seeds containing above a prescribed percentage of weed seeds. This measure becomes effective Aug. 1, 1921.

AGRICULTURE. The year saw a considerable revival of agriculture in the European countries included in the war. Many of those countries were still dependent to a quite large extent on outside production. The difficulties of transportation and particularly the exchange situation, coupled with the inability of some of these countries to buy food, served to continue the food shortage. These same difficulties of exchange reacted unfavorably on the countries having an excess for export.

THE YEAR'S HARVEST IN THE UNITED STATES. The crop season in the United States presented an unusual number of obstacles, many of which were formidable. The spring was late, cold and wet, seriously delaying operations. In only four years of the past 37 was the progress of plowing up to May 1st so backward as in 1920. The labor shortage continued, the supply being approximately 37 per cent short, and wages rose to a point which was appalling to farmers. This with the continued high cost of fertilizers, machinery, and supplies, all of which had greatly increased since 1914, made the hazard unusually large. Altogether the American farmers were confronted in the spring of 1920 with the most difficult situation they had ever experienced. In spite of this, the largest harvest in the history of American agriculture was produced, with a single exception. The combined yields of the 10 principal crops was over 13 per cent above the average for the five years preceding the outbreak of the war. The corn (maize) crop of nearly 3,250,000,000 bushels was unprecedented, representing over four-fifths of the total world production. While the production of wheat, oats, barley, and buckwheat was slightly below the average, the rye crop was considerably larger than the five year average, the rice crop was. one-fourth greater than the largest ever before harvested, and the grain sorghum crop was 18 per cent larger than that of the record year of 1919. The potato crop has only been exceeded once and then by a very narrow margin. The sweet potato crop was the largest ever produced and both the tobacco and sugar beet crops considerably exceeded any previous yield, the latter being one-third larger than the highest previous record. Cotton gave the largest crop since 1914, and fully 500,000 bales more than the five year average, while the tame hay crop had only been exceeded twice and the oat crop of more than 1,500,000,000 bushels only three times. Altogether the harvest was an unusual one and greatly exceeded expectations early in the season. (See specific crops.)

WORLD AGRICULTURE IN 1920. Indications pointed to a larger world crop of cereals than in 1919, amounting for the countries for which information was at hand to about 6 per cent for wheat, oats, corn, barley, and rye. În countries normally producing two-thirds of the world's wheat crop the apparent production in 1920 showed a gain of 2 per cent over 1919. While the wheat crop gained more than the population from 1919 to 1920, two prominent exporting countries, Canada and British India, were esti

mated to have a combined 'crop of 193,000,000 bushels greater than in 1919. The countries normally producing about three-fifths of the world's crop of rice showed an extraordinary gain of 37 per cent over the crop of 1919. The United States, British India, and Egypt, which ordinarily produce about 80 to 85 per cent of the world's cotton had an estimated production 16 per cent larger than that of 1919.

It is interesting to note that in the United States the expansion of area devoted to crops under war conditions, estimated at a little over 10 per cent, was reduced in 1920. Following the armistice there was a reduction in crop acreage, which from 1919 to 1920 represented a decline of 5.4 per cent in the area occupied by 20 principal crops. Apparently the reduction was brought about by returning the land to pastures and discontinuing the use of low grade areas. traction in acreage was most extreme in the case of wheat and rye, the principal bread grains, the production of which was particularly stimulated during the war.

The con

The returns for England and Wales show a falling off in area in cereals and an increase in that of clover, rotation grasses, and green crops. The acreage under wheat, 1,877,000, was 344,000 acres less than in 1919 and only 70.000 more than in 1914. There was an equal falling off in oats, but harley increased, the area being the largest since 1904. Potatoes occupied a largely increased area, the largest of record except 1918. Acreage in fallow was much above the pre-war average. A large reduction in the number of cattle and sheep was noted, but an increase in pigs.

In less than two years after the armistice the French people cleared and put under cultivation nearly 50 per cent of the land devastated in the war. Projectiles and the débris of battle were removed from 85 per cent of the farms. It is estimated that the 10 devastated Departments produced in 1920 enough cereals for their own need and possibly more.

Italy continued to fix the price for wheat, making a slight reduction in the basic price. Premiums were paid over and above this for grain produced in the southern provinces and also for wheat produced in excess of that raised in 1918. An increase in local production of bread stuffs at any cost was regarded as more advantageous than to continue importation on the former scale.

It is reported that Germany's importations of grain and feeding stuffs increased during the last generation, although highly improved methods kept her a prominent agrarian nation. Farming has been made more difficult of late by the agricultural labor problem involved with the low wages offered, the support by the Ministry of Agriculture of the idea of a farm laborers federation on the eight hour basis, and the cutting off of labor importation from Russia and Poland. Live stock numbers are short, farmers are said to be slow to accept the government food commission price for grain, large acreages devoted to crops and vineyards have been lost under the terms of the treaty, and there is a conflict of interest between city and rural populations.

PRICE DECLINE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. After the farmers had met and solved the problems of production at unusual cost they were confronted at harvest time by a falling market, In midsummer when the farmers' period of out