The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-12-11
DEMONSTRATION WORK EN-.
planned.
Leader of the FARM Demonstration
Movement in South Carolina Tells
Young Men at Carolina About His
Work and What 1t Means to the
State.

Columbia, Dec. 6.-"Demonstration
Work" was treated by Prof. Ira w.
Williams, Of the United States farm
demonstration department, in an ad-
dress before the students Of the Uni
versity Of South Carolina this morn
ing.
He said, in part:
1--WE realize in the demonstration
work that We must begin in the
home. So we begin with the home
by sending to two or three homes in
different communities to the best far
mers in those communities, man
trained to instruct them how to grow
better crops on their land. Not only
do we send the man to in lct the
people how to grow these clJps, but
we then furnish him regularly from
Washington literature on every sub
ject pertaining to his life on the
farm. These farmers are called
demonstrators and the man who Wis
it's him Is called an agent. We have
an agent for each county and he is
supposed to place as many farms ov-
er the county in different communi-
ties as 1t is possible for him to visit.
These farms are considered object
lessons in the community. They are
places where they can meet and hear
the subjects discussed at different
times when the agent visits the COM
munity. We are not able to take all
the people as demonstrators. Not
but a very small per cent of them
can become actual demonstrators
and I would say right here that not
like the amount Of appli-
cants that We have is it possible for
us to take; but in addition to the
demonstrators we have what We call
co-operators, men who sign up con-
tracts to receive the literature and
instruction and carry it out on a part
of their farm, meet at the home Of
the demonstrator whenever possible,
keep an accurate record of what he
does and make a report on the same
We realize that writing bulletins and
making speeches and holding insti-
tutes do not reach the masses of the
people and have adopted this method
fn DIT L.,
dition to reaching them in this way
we hold numerous meetings and dis
cuss agricultural problems Of every
kfnds stock raising, dairying. poaa6ry.
horticulture. rotation Of crops ex-
plain and have put into practice the
latest and most scientific develop
ments that are discovered for the
development and building up of the
rural districts.
1--WE have now in the State Of
South Carolina about thirty agents
working in about thirty different
counties of the State. These agents
have under their direction about g.
600 men carrying out our Instructions
on a portion of their farm. In addi-
ton to this force Of men, we have
inaugurated another system of work,
which Is proving to be a great bene-
mt to the country, that Is what we
call the school boys demonstration
work. The boys organize themselves
into clubs and agree to cultivate an
acre Of corn or cotton, according to
the directions sent out by the depart
ment. Prizes are given by the people
of the community for the best acre
Of corn, for the best selection Of ten
ears of corn, twenty and five, etc. and
In this way the young people, or the
boys, are learning an immense
amount about agriculture that their
fathers never knew. might say
here that one boy in South Carolina
this year under our direction pro-
duced 1852 1-2 bushels Of corn to the
acre. and will be given by the depart
ment trip to Washington and be
shown the city, the different depart
ments. and be given an introduction
to the Secretary Of Agriculture and
the President Of the United States. I
am glad to say also that this boy,
when he meets the representatives
from the other States, will have pro-
duced more corn per acre than any
OF the boys who will meet him in
Washington.
THE men from the University
have been in the past the leaders in
shaping the purpose of the govern
ment of the State. This will be your
mission in the future. There are nu-
merous problems of government that
Will demand your attention, whether