Show PUBLICITY RESULTS IN MANY NEW FARM PRACTICES publicity Is one 01 ane most effective methods used by agricultural agencies in selling new ideas on fanning and homemaking according to M 0 allson of tha united states department of agriculture mr auson recently completed a study of the relative effectiveness ot the numerous methods employed by the extension forces of the department and the state agricultural colleges in introducing new and beter practices in farming and home economics methods classified as publicity he found were the cause of the adoption of 30 per cent of the improved practices introduced on farms m 12 states the remainder of these practices were adopted as a result of personal service methods object lesson methods and indirect influence theae three groups being about equally influential fluent ial in the publicity group which includes such mediums as news stories bulletins circular letters posters exhibits general meetings and radio the printed or written word proved strikingly effective news stories bulletins and circular letters caused the adoption of 1822 per cent of all practices involved in the study the news story alone being credited with 10 per cent of the changes general meetings were credited with causing 13 ii per cent of the changes radio 13 1 3 per cent exhibits 61 per cent and posters 04 per cent more than Is being expended yearly for extension work mr auson says and it Is important that we know not only fhe relative effectiveness of the different methods but also the relative cost in time and money the study showed that a unit ol 01 time spent by an extension worker in preparing news stories and interviewing local editors resulted in the adoption of three times as many practices as the same unit of time spent on farm and home visits and fifteen times as many practices as the same time devoted to extension exhibits when all costs were considered the news story was found to be the most economical means of influencing farmers and farm women to adopt the desired changes general meetings ranked next in cost followed rather closely by office calls bulletins take a lower place in the cot scale but still are above the average in effectiveness the cost of circular letters is 0 w as to make them compare favorably with farm visits aal method demonstration meetings on the basis of total cost per practice changed even though they are credited with having helped bring about but a small percentage of the changes object lesson methods including adult and junior result demonstrations are the most expensive means of bringing about changed practices being approximately twice as expensive as the average of the other three groups prom such comparisons it does not necessarily follow says mr allson that an extension worker can devote unlimited time to news stories and the like without decreased returns per unit of time nevertheless he says it would seem wise for extension workers to place as much emphasis as circumstances permit upon those means and agencies which yield ohp largest returns upon time invested other costs considered certainly these methods should not be minimized or overlooked |