The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-10-29
PRACT:EhL DEMONSTRATION.
Government to Teach Farmers How
to Apply What is Already
Known.

". Smith spent Saturday in New''"E-
~. Tiirr are coMnrrjpJ with ;Ic ';t-
rar!:nnM: OF a:I!cnitu:" nt' the | n
tied States government. having spec
ial charge Of the farmers cooperative
demonstration work under the SUPER
vision cf Dr. S. A. knarp.
This branch of the department was
established five years ago and is for
the purpose of teaching the farmers
fuctS which are already known and
not for the purpose Of making eX-
perimentS. These gentlemen came to
Newbcrry Saturday morning from
Columbia anil after taking a drive Of
several miles in lie country spent the
greater portion Of the day at the
Frederick hotel where they met and
talked with quite a number Of our
progressive farmers from all Sec
tions cf the county.
Nj. Barrow is from Lake Charles.
La, and Capt. Smith is from Tyler,
Tex. both being Southern gentlemen.
Mr.. Barrow, who is in charge OF the
work, has been connected with the
government service for several years.
This is the fifth year that this partle-
ular branch Of the work has been IN
progress. Last year their work was
in Texas. Arkansaw, Alabama, Mis-
sis<ippi, and some in Virginia. This
year they propose to work In Geor-
Ola. North Carolina, and South Caro-
Ina.
The plan is to teach the farmers
what is already known and facts that
have already been discovered in ag-
riculture, not by delivering lectures
to them but by doing actual work.
Mr.. Barrow says that their work
might we'll be called the National
Farmers college.
There is this difference, however
between the ordinary agricultural
COLLEGE and the work which is pro-
posed to be done. In tle Ordinary
college the pupil comes TO the collage
and learns to work out abstract PROB
len1s. In this work the teacher gives
to tie pupils who are the farmers OF
the country concrete problems which
are already worked out on nature $
blackboard-the fields-and the ans
wers are obtained in the most con-
vi;neine form-tbat Of dollars and
cents. Tie lessons which are thus
learned BY the farmers can never be
fcrcot1en because they have done the
things themselves and they have no
doubt of the practicat1iity aald fea-
sibility cf the instruction:
Mr.. Barrow further says that dur
ing this year they had some tive
thousand demonstrators scattered
through the states which they have
worke,! who cultivated about 2O,OOO
acres. He says That the number OF
acres which each demonstrator IS per
mitted to work under the instruction
Of this department is limited to from
one 20 five. They are devoting their
instruction principally to the cult1-
vation Of cotton and corn which are
the staple crops Of this country and
if the farmers can be made success
full growers Of these crops they Will
soon become successful growers OF
other crops.
The plan is to have a state agent
and to divide the state into three OF
four districts, each district to be IN
charge Of a district agent, and each
district agent to have from four to
EIGHT sub-agents, who Will SO to the
different communities and select one
live. progressive and enterprlslng Tar
mer III eaCn cOuluaIl1fGy w
strate the work by the actual dong
Of what mas already been found to
be successful. The idea Of Mr.. Bar"
row is to bring the personal equation
into the work by having it done 'by
the farmer himself.
The farmer who is thus selected
and consents to do this work recelV,
es personal visits from the agent o'
the department of the government.
Mr. Barrow is now visiting differ
ent sections Of the state, talking te
farmers and inspecting tne soll' W1tf
view to organizing this practlca.
demonstration work in this state.
Of course the success which accom-
nanies the work will depend largely
upon the interest which the farmer
take in it. 1t has proved successfrl