line of work. The worker in this field should have a thorough knowledge of agriculture; his personality and common sense should stand out strongly; and above everything else he should be a student of successful methods in farm management. He should " have had at least two or three years experience as a teacher of agriculture, or as an investigator working on Farm problems." Or as one correspondent has expressed it,a worker in this line of service should have " the best practical farm experience, both from the point of view of the farm laborer and the farm manager. "1

1

County Agent Work.

The work of the county agent being somewhat similar to that of the man in demonstration farm work, has similar requirements. In addition to possessing ability for organization and in addition to college training and farm experience, the majority confirm the necessity of having an exceptionally good personality and an acute sense of farm psychology. He should be a student of human nature. Mr.C.C.James, deputy minister of agriculture in Canada, where the county agent idea originated, has summarized the qualifications of the county agent in a striking way. He says," set down in the country a live, enthusiastic young man, trained in the best practise of farming, and having an agricultural college education, and tell to study the farmers' conditions, to assist them in their work,

2

1. Proceedings of the Asso.of Am. Agr.Coll. & Exp.Sta.1011 p.96. 2. Proceedings of the Asso.of Am. Agr.Coll. & Exp.Sta.1911.p.207.

to find out their needs, and to direct them along the best 1

lines." And Dr.John Seath, Superintendent of Education in Canada in 1906, suggests that " just as the present high school teachers are the local centre of university influence, so the teacher of agriculture would be a local agent of the agricultural college and a local centre for the dissemination of agricultural knolwedge."

3

Experience in teaching has been found to be a very valuable qualification for the county agent, or representative,t to possess. "This is the highest type of extension work that we have, writes State Leader G.H.Christie of Indiana,under date of May 9,1913," since it requires a man of all around knowledge and one who can handle problems satisfactorily and who has a great deal of tact and common sense. But we are placing the greatest stress upon practical farm management experience."

Farmers' Short Course Work.

A thorough understanding of a good many subjects is the consensus of opinion in regard to the preparation for farmers' short course work. The workers should possess adequate knowledge along lines of farm management, economics,pedagogy and psychology, supplemented by the ability to teach. It is perhaps advisable that a specialist be employed in this work to represent each specific department, one who had in addition to general farm experience, special training in some particular line of work.

1. Proceedings of Asso. of Am.Agr.Coll. & Exp.Sta.1911.p 207 2. Proceedings of Asso.of Am.Agr.Coll. & Exp.Sta.1911.p 206

Farmers' School Work.

Preparation for farmers' school work resembles that

which is demanded for short course work.

Farmers' Institute Work.

For the preparation of farmers' isntitute workers, however a different set of requirements seem to be demanded. Such requisites as public speaking," "" ability to lecture,"

" ability to adapt the right things to the right time," and synonymous expressions seem to stand out just as prominently as do the demands for good training and experience along practical lines. This versitality is especially important in view of the fact that institute workers are subject to all and every sort of questioning from farmer audiences. In Europe, the peripatetic instructor is subjected to careful examination by experts before he is commissioned to engage in work of this 1 kind.

In this country the successful farmer is the usual type of institute worker. From personal experience it has been deemed advisable to employ men of this type in this capacity, men who are capable judges of what constitutes the correct thing at the correct time, in addition to possessing ability for presenting technical information in a manner that will impress, appeal and be followed. All other things being equall for this line of work, the specialist is to be prefered. A successful farmers' institute worker must have had a good

1. Office of Experiment Stations. Bull.no.231.page 25.