prime functions the control and regulation of the commercial distribution of foods and feedstuffs, that is, of products which had reached the markets and were in the channels of distribution or in the hands of consumers, their conservation by consumers, and the elimination of waste, through the employment of regular official as well as volunteer agencies.

The Department of Agriculture continued to administer the usual laws placed under its jurisdiction and assumed the direction of the increased and varied activities provided for by the Emergency Food Production Act.

It early became apparent that there would be no little delay in framing and passing the necessary legislation. Time was the essence of the situation. Prompt action was necessary. It was essential that many of the recommendations included in the St. Louis programme should be put into effect. Farmers already were in the field or had made their plans for the season. The Department and the state agencies therefore speeded up their work along the most promising lines with the forces and funds at their command. Projects not having an immediate bearing on the emergency were set aside in order that the energies of the workers might be concentrated on the main problems.

Assuming that Congress would enact, in part, at least, the legislation desired to stimulate production and to promote conservation, the Department of Agriculture, in coöperation with the Land-Grant colleges, undertook the preliminary work of developing additional machinery and agencies; and, in a number of states, these additional agencies, including especially an extension of the farm demonstration force, actually were put into operation.

It was recognized that the Coöperative Extension System, with its combination of Federal and state administrative officers and specialists, county agents, homedemonstration agents, farm bureaus, and other local organizations, furnished a ready and effective means for the nation-wide dissemination of the needed facts, as well as for practical demonstrations of the best methods of increasing agricultural production and securing the most economical utilization of the products of the farm. With remarkable promptness and unanimity, these agencies addressed themselves to the important problems of increasing and conserving the food supply and cordially furthered the Department's efforts in this direction.

It would require a volume even to outline all the things which were done by the Department of Agriculture. It stimulated production, increasingly controlled plant and animal diseases, reducing losses from the cattle tick, hog cholera, tuberculosis, predatory animals, and crop pests, and, in conjunction with the Department of Labour, rendered assistance to the farmers in securing labour. It safeguarded seed stocks and secured and distributed good seeds to farmers for cash at cost; acted jointly with the Treasury Department in making loans from the President's special fund to distressed farmers in droughtstricken sections; aided in transporting stock from the drought areas; greatly assisted in the marketing of farm products, and, under enormous difficulties, helped the farmers to secure a larger supply of fertilizers. At the direction of the President, it administered under license the control of the stockyards and of the ammonia, fertilizer, and farm-equipment industries.

The Department maintained intimate touch with the War and Navy departments, the War Industries, War Trade, and Shipping boards, and the Fuel and Food administrations. Through the Bureau of Animal Industry, it not only continued to safeguard the meat supply for the civilian population, but it also inspected the meats used at the various cantonments, training camps, forts, posts, and naval stations, and aided in the organization of the veterinary corps. Through the Forest Service, it rendered valuable assistance to practically all branches of the government having to do with the purchase or use of forest products and to many industries which supply war material to the government, made a thorough study of the lumber situation, aided in many directions the Bureau of Aircraft Production and the Navy Department in the execution of their aeroplane programmes, conducted coöperative tests on a large scale at the Forest Products Laboratory, and collaborated in the organization of the forestry regiments. Its Bureau of Markets handled the distribution of nitrate of soda to farmers for cash at cost, coöperated with the War Industries Board in broadening the channels of distribution and in stimulating the use of stocks of low-grade cotton, and worked with the Food Administration in the handling of grains and in other of its activities. Its Bureau of Chemistry assisted other departments in preparing specifications for articles needed by them, aided the War Department in the organization of its chemical research work and in making tests of fabrics and supplies, worked out formulas for waterproofing leather, and maintained intimate touch with the related services of the Food Administration. The Department collaborated with the War Department in its handling of

the draft, aiding it particularly in passing upon the exemption of agricultural labourers.

An appropriation of $4,348,400 was made by the Food Production Act for the further development of the Extension Service. By the end of October, more than sixteen hundred emergency demonstration agents, men and women, had been appointed, making a total of approximately five thousand coöperative extension workers, including the specialists performing extension work, employed through both state and Federal regular and emergency funds. This number was further increased as soon as men and women with the requisite training and experience could be secured. Nearly seven hundred and fifty additional counties coöperated with the Department under the Food Production Act in employing country agents. The total number of men in the service acting as country agents was about two thousand and many district agents were designated to supervise their activities. About thirteen hundred state, district, county, and urban women home-demonstration agents were set to work. Of the 600 women employed as emergency agents, 500 worked in counties, principally among farm women, and 100 were assigned exclusively to urban communities. More than one hundred additional assistants in boys' and girls' club work were placed in the field.

It would be almost easier to tell what these men and women did not do than to indicate the variety and extent of their operations. They constituted the only Federal machinery in intimate touch with the millions of people in the farming districts. They were, therefore, able to render great service to other branches of the government, such as the Treasury in its Liberty Loan campaigns, the

Red Cross, the Young Men's Christian Association, and other organizations in their war activities, and the Food Administration in its special tasks.

Conditions growing out of the war gave added impetus to the already well-established policy of extending and promoting local organizations to support, aid, and extend the influence of the county-agent work. The number of such organizations was rapidly increased throughout the country. In the fifteen Southern states the number of community organizations of farmers formed to aid the county agents increased from 1,654, with a membership of 44,548, to 2,508, with a membership of 78,660. As in the South, so in the North and West, impetus was given to the organization movement already under way, and there was an emphatic demonstration of the increased usefulness of the county agent when backed by a supporting local organization. In the thirty-three Northern and Western states, the number of farm bureaus and similar local organizations was increased to 374, with a membership of 98,654. The number of community clubs organized among rural women in the South increased from 250 to 1,042, and 1,635,000 women and girls actually participated in some form of emergency work.

The enrollment in the regular boys' clubs in the South was largely increased, and the total membership was approximately 100,000. In addition, 20,000 boys were enrolled to assist in war emergency activities. The boys' and girls' clubs in the Northern and Western states had a regular membership of 406,000 and an additional emergency enrollment of 400,000. These clubs in all sections of the nation were efficient agencies in the campaigns for promoting food production and conservation.