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An innovation as a council activity during the past year was leadership training, -the emphasis being directed especially towards club chairmen and secretaries. In ? Wellington and Canterbury, councils' conferences lasting several days and attended by sixty or seventy delegates were held at Massey and Lincoln Colleges respectively. A similar conference was held at Balclutha for the Otago-Southland council, and the Auckland council arranged a series of one- and two-day district conferences. The Country Girls' Clubs movement has been sponsored by the Young Farmers' -Clubs Federation. The New Zealand Federation of Country Girls' Clubs was formed in August, 1948. There are now 10 clubs, 3in the North Island and 7in the South. The Rural Sociology Section of the Division has given assistance to the Country Girls' dlubs and field officers have given lectures and demonstrations and general assistance. Show Exhibits The Division is responsible for the organization of exhibits at summer and winter shows, and during the year a very comprehensive exhibit was staged at nineteen shows. Because a considerable number of shows were held on the same dates it was impossible to cover many centres with the main exhibit, but wherever possible a local exhibit was staged by the Extension and Horticulture Divisions. The exhibits proved of great interest to the farming community, and this phase of the Division's activities will be expanded next year. Farm Engineering A Farm Machinery Officer is now stationed in each Field Superintendent's district, and during the past year much useful instructional work has been carried out by visits to farms, radio talks, Journal articles, and show exhibits. A large number of technical inquiries from farmers about water-supplies, land-drainage, utilization of electric and water power, and machinery generally have been answered. Preparations have been made to intensify the instructional work next year, making safety a special feature. Investigational work has covered clover-seed harvesting (in relation to clover seed abnormals), low-volume spray equipment, and general cultivation implements. The Department's own engineering problems have received attention ; six water-supply schemes for research farms have been planned and costed, proposals have been drawn up for vacuum fumigation plants and potato-starch extraction, and plans have been prepared for removal of fumes from the rabbit-poison depot. The Farm Forestry Officer has continued regional study of farm plantations in Southland, South Otago, and the Bay of Plenty. Special reports were prepared on shelter in New Zealand (for a projected symposium on shelter planting drawn up jointly by the Imperial Forestry Bureau, Oxford, and the Horticultural Research Station, East Mailing) and on farm plantations and erosion control on Puketiti Station (at the request of the Royal Commission- on the sheep industry). Advisory work has covered Journal articles, visits to farms (at the special request of local Instructors), lectures to farm schools and Young Farmers' Clubs, and the preparation of exhibits at winter shows. Planting plans have been drawn up for several departmental farms. Rural Sociology A study of population trends in New Zealand has been begun by the Rural Sociologist. Subjects receiving most attention in the work in home economics of field officers -engaged in the preparation of Journal articles, lectures, and winter show exhibits have been nutrition, cookery, preserving, sewing, clothing, house alterations, room design, .and furniture renovations. Apart from radio talks and demonstrations to Country "Girls' Clubs, sixty-one lectures were given and fifty-three Journal articles published.

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