BETTER HOME-GROWN ROUGHAGE-The soybean, alfalfa and corn variety tests and demonstrations discussed under the heading Field Tests and Demonstrations describes the work done by the Farm Bureaus in promoting the growth of better roughage. BETTER STOCK-Valuable work has been done in increasing interest in better stock and in helping farmers to select foundation stock for their herds. County Agents assisted farmers in purchasing forty-five purebred bulls and fifty-one purebred cows and heifers in 1917. This work has continued during the present year. In Litchfield County, a county-wide bull campaign was carried on in which all the bulls in the county were inventoried, meetings held in every dairy town, and an attempt made to reach personally every owner of a poor bull. In Middlesex County, efforts have been successfully made to establish centers of purebred stock production. Results at Haddam Neck, where a few farmers are growing Guernseys, have been gratify. ing. In Tolland County, the Farm Bureau has been instrumental in the establishment of a County Jersey Breeders' Association of much promise. PERSONAL WORK-Personal assistance rendered farmers at their request has constituted a very important part of the work of County Agents during the past two years. This assistance has been rendered thru calls made by the farmer at the farm bureau office, thru telephone calls, letters, or in visits of the County Agent to the farm. County County Fairfield *2292*207 *548* 190* 385 * 8 * 4* 774 51 1569 1819 ... ..... *3071⁄2 *2171⁄2 *2120 *2253 * 201 7 8 Hartford Litchfield Middlesex *224 New Haven *170 New London *199 Tolland Windham * Two agents at work. COUNTY AGENT STATISTICAL REPORT OCTOBER 1, 1916 -to SEPTEMBER 30, 1917 1209| 123 243 1544 846 449 298 3634 842 215 755 650 408 37 19 347 115 4452 *131 *263% *1344 *787 *1418 * 40 * 19 *663 99 5782 110 *264 *924*670* 712 * 36* 23 *382*128*4417 *192 *370*1280 650 * 852|*109*175*489|*243|*8250 85% 1632 955 385 161 7 14 167*120*6467 1011 1 4 178 89 2281 Map Showing the Distribution of Farm Bureau Membership in Connecticut and Location of County Workers. KEY: Large circle, Cross, Heavy dot, Square, Triangle, Heavy triangle, Farm Bureau headquarters City Emergency Food Agent Assistant County Agent Special Agent for Food Production in cities 33 5 EXTENSION WORK IN HOME ECONOMICS. Dorothy S. Buckley, Ass't State Leader of Home Demonstration Agents. **Jeannette E. Metcalfe, Hartford County, New Britain † City Demonstration Agents * Supported cooperatively by County Farm Bureaus, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and Connecticut Agricultural College Extension Service. First Year For convenience the summary of State Wide Extension work from October 1, 1916, to October, 1917, is divided into two periods: I. Before war was declared against Germany; October, 1916 to II. After war was declared against Germany; May, 1917, to 1. First Period During the first period Extension Work in Home Economics was carried on along the following lines: A. County Home Demonstration Agent Work On October 1, 1916, the one Home Demonstration Agent in Connecticut, located in New Haven County, had completed her first month's work. The postion of State Home Demonstration Leader until August, 1917, was merely nominal and her work consisted of visiting the one Home Demonstration Agent at intervals, receiving her reports, advising her about her work, helping her in two extension schools and making a monthly summary of her work for the Washington office. Home Demonstration Agent work with this one worker existed in the state in this manner until June, 1917. Though the beginning was small the first Home Demonstration Agent paved the way for future work. She tried out experiments and was tried out by these experiments. Their value consisted in familiarizing the women of the county with the possibilities of Home Economics work in their communities and the Home Demonstration Agent work was done mostly thru organized groups which met regularly to discuss problems interesting to their communities, to observe demonstrations given by the Agent and to make plans for improving local conditions e. g. establishment of a school lunch, campaign against flies, etc. Committees were appointed in each town to arrange for meetings, and to decide with the Agent's help the program of such meetings, the degree of cooperation of the agent, etc. While the organization and methods of Home Demonstration work in the state have changed since this pioneer attempt, a good foundation was laid in New Haven County for the development of later work. The following statistics cover the eight months from October to June when Miss Knowlton was the only Home Demonstration Agent at work in the state: From October, 1916 to May, 1917 the State Extension work was along the following lines: 1. Supervision of the New Haven County Home Demonstration Agent as indicated above. 2. Extension Schools Arrangements and preparations for these schools were made in the fall. They were carried on after the plans of those held in 1916 when eight Four-Day Extension Schools were given in the state. The 1917 Schools were held as follows: Besides these Four-Day Schools in home making which were held co-ordinately with the agricultural schools, the following two-day schools were held in home making, being the second schools to be given in each community with the exception of the one at South Woodstock: |