Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-12-03

Emergency services to farmers affected by natural
disasters and marketing difficulties in the last fiscal
year were outstanding activities Of the extension
service of the United States department Of Agriculture
in addition to the continued expansion Of the usual
program of leadership and instruction offered by the
service.
The Mississippi river flood last spring created i'm
po-tant problems for agents, such as maintenance of
morale Of farm families forced to evaeuate their farms,
rendering Of aid in obtaining seed, equipment and sup
plies in order that crops could be planted promptly
after the water subsidized, and advising as to crops
suitable for replanting. Extension workers cooperat-
ed closely with the American Red Cross. Similar
work by county agents and extension workers followed
the hurricane which laid bare several counties in
Florida in September. 1926.
In the South last year a record cotton crop was
followed by q slump in cotton prices in which cotton
moved to market &c prices less than cost Of produce
ton. Extension agents met the unfortunate situation
by placing increased emphasis on the home production
by the farmer Of sufficient food for his family and
feed for his livestock. The safe-farming program long
advocated by southern extension workers was advanced
materially by the cotton situation.
The direct federal appropriation for the extension
service for the fiscal year was S~1.640,56s, Of which
$l,306,540 was for farmers cooperative demonstration
work, s143,64s for salaries and administrative work,
s9e,745 for exhibits, $3s,640 for demonstrations on re-
clamation projects. and $4,000 for farm-forestry ex-
tension. In addition S5.ss0,O00 was allotted to the
8N46L9 80 AN&8St0
Smith-Lever and supplementary acts. The states,
counties, and other agencies contributed Sl2,S32,7l4 for
cooperative extension work, the grand total being $780,
s53.2s2. In Washington the staff consisted Of 17S per-
sons. The field force consisted Of 5000 persons, IA
employed by the department, 1853 by the states, and
1896 comparatively by the states and the department.
Highlights of the results from extension work in
clude more than 100000 instances Of the adoption Of
improved practices on farms, and increase in activity
In the oh clubs Of farm boys and girls who cultivated
and owned $1,000 acres Of corn, cotton, potatoes and
other field, truck. and orchard crops, s7,o27 head Of
high-quality livestock. and 10000 standardized
fowls. put up 2,6ss.02s jars Of canned fruit and jeIlies
and made z50,sS7 garments.
Subjeet-matter specialists assisted county agents
In all important lines Of agricultural endeavor. The
service furnished materials for visual instruction, in
GLIDING photographs, lantern slides, posters, exhibits
and motion pictures. A survey made by the service in
dicated that about two and one-half times as many
farm homes were equipped with radio sets in 1926 as in
1925. The service participated in state and regional
conferences looking to the formulation of agricultural
programs, exhibited at 81 fairs. the Sesquicentennial
Exposition. and the World Poultry Congress, studied
the best methods Of agricultural instruction in schools,
and engaged in numerous other activities.