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is not in shiely organized condition. But agriculture has in all countries, till a comparatively recent date, remained unorganized. The reason for this is quite plain. The difficulty of organization increases as capital is divided among an increasing number of capitalists. The most highly organized industries are those in which a large aggregate of capital is controlled by a small number of capitalists. Agriculture is perhaps the most extreme case existing where a very large aggregate of capital is divided among a very great number of capitalists and is controlled by them. Furthermore, farming does not really lend itself to corporate methods of conducting business and is therefore, preeminently, a business of individuals rather than of corporate enterprise. In fact farmers as a class live so much to themselves and depend so little upon each other in the conduct of their business that it is somewhat difficult to secure cooperation among them even when this cooperation would be greatly to their advantage. Again, ordinary industrial methods of organization have not been found suited to agriculture. An unorganized agriculture was one of the very serious problems facing Europe. The lack of interest in agriculture and the trend of the rural population cityward added to the perplexity of the situation. Long before the development and expansion of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations the weakness of agricultural practice was recognized by the great German scientist, Siebig, who said, "Agriculture is of all industrial pursuits, the richest in facts and the poorest in their comprehension". This statement was true of Europe. Farmers, in practicing their art had accumulated a large

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store of facts, but too often a lack of proper comprehension of these facts, resulted in a failure to realize the returns which should follow the accumulation of so much valuable data. Agricultural Colleges and agricultural institutions also had acquired a large score of facts but they had always been in such form that it was difficult for the farmer to obtain what he needed and apply it to his individual How to remedy this condition was another problem for

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Europe to solve.

With the introduction of intinerant instruction in agriculture came the solution of all these questions. The movement was slow at first, but because of the results obtained and its marked success from the beginning it soon spread into nearly every country of Western Europe. This system, only thirty years old, has brought the country from poverty to thrift. It has doubled land values; it has trebled the savings bank deposits; it has sent the people from the cities back to the farms; it has readjusted rural life and placed it upon a higher plane of profit, comfort, culture, influence, and power; it has made the countries prosperous and happy

Since America has profited largely by the experience of these older nations in bringing agricultural education to the rural communities, it is well to consider briefly the work in a few of these leading European countries.

Belgium

Belgium is perhaps the first country of Europe

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to institute itinerant agricultural instruction. culture of this country was in a much neglected condition prior to 1885, at which time a method of improvement was adopted, that has produced remarkable results in the production of crops, cattle, prices of land, etc. These remarkable results in the improvement of the agricultural conditions of this country are attributed to the work of the itinerant instructor and the department he is associated with. In 1885 a measure was adopted whereby the office of Extension of Supervisors of Agriculture was created by the crown and the work of oversight of agriculture in the various provinces was placed under the control of these supervisors. The whole of Belgium was divided into six sections. In three of these sections there were two supervisors each of agriculture and in the remaining three sections there was one supervisor each. The duty of these supervisors was to bring agricultural science to the farmer. They put themselves in direct contact with the cultivators and gave them gratuitously the counse desired or necessary. This work was in nearly all cases similar to the county agent work in the United States. They gave agricultural lectures in their territory and organized annual conferences in at least five districts in each section. They were further charged with organizing demonstrations and experiment fields in order to give practical instruction to the farmers. Under the direction of the inspector general of agriculture this system was not long in ob

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