6. Opportunities for Self‐Improvement which Should be Offered the Agronomy Specialist 1

The agronomy extension specialist occupies a comparatively newly established field, of which neither the boundaries nor the responsibilities have been definitely determined. In some instances, he is primarily an extension worker, well grounded in agronomy and giving first thought to agronomy subject matter in his extension activities. In other cases, he is first of all an agronomist who devotes the greater part of his time to extension teaching in his chosen field of subject-matter. Under the former condition, he would be looked upon first as an extension worker rather than an agronomist; while under the latter, as an agronomist specializing in a particular agronomic field. In either case, he would have more difficulty in keeping strictly up-to-date in subject-matter than either the research agronomist or the resident teacher. There certainly is, of necessity, a greater tendency for him to neglect subject-matter when not associated with his subject-matter department. •