The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-14
KNAPP EXPLAINS
 CROP FAILURES Agricultural Expert Talks to the Farmers At Macon EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE pr. Knapp Tells of Plan of Cooperative Demonstration Work For obtain ing Best Results From All
 Crops.

Macon, Ga, January 1S-Much of the failures of crops and the limited amount of such that are produced Is attributable to the failure of the American farmer to take advantage of the national gov ernrnent offer of assistance. This. in ef- feet, was the statement made by Dr. Seaman A. Knapp of the department of agriculture in an address here today His talk was devoted to an exposition of the farmers cooperative demonstra- ton work and the benefits it held out to such farmers as took advantage of it.
 pr. Knapp in the beginning admitted that the government experimental sta- tions, while they were doing great work for the advancement of agricul- tural science, were deficient in that they could not reach the farmers with the re- suits of their experiments. He declared that although the government endeav- ored to get such information before the farmers through the use of bulletins and newspaper and magazine articles in many states not more than one farmer in thousand ever read them or if he did was benefited.
 Happily. there Is system of educa- tion that can reach all the people" Dr. Knapp continued. Tt Is known as tho farmers cooperative demonstration work and its aim is to place practical dem- onstration before the farm masses, H. frustrating the best and most profitable methods of producing the standard farm crops and to present to them in the at- tractive way of an object lesson many lines of valuable knowledge in such manner as to secure their active par ticipation and to prove to the farmers that they can do much better than they are now doing.'
 The speaker explained the farmers CO., operative demonstration. It is conducted by special agent in charge, who reports directly to the chief of the bureau of planty industry of the department of az riculture. In addition to five general as- sistants, an office force and corps Of field agents, classified according to geographical location, there are state, district and local agents. The four last named officials are supervising farmers, whose reports finally reach the govern ment through regular channels.
 The plan is to have some farmer in each county set aside his farm, or part or IL. to be cultivated according to scientific methods the methods to be directed by the government experts. This farm is visited by an agent of the department Of agriculture at least once month, who sees to it that instructions are being carried out. Neighboring farmers are invited to witness the improvement In re- turns from the scientifically tiled land, and are offered the same assistance by the government to make their land more productive.
 Generally, thare are two viewpoints from which to regard the farmers co-op- erative demonstration work said Dr. Knapp ''The superficial viewpoint IS that it is simply method of increasing corn crops and adding more to the corn crib. The real viewpoint is that 1t Is a system of adult education, carried to the farmer on his farm, and It's correctness proyed by the results as tested upon the soil. He can not doubt them, because ne works out the problems himself and re- ceives the reward.
 s'But this is not the only result Sue cess in one line and encouragement lends not only ability to do better things hut the courage to do them, ana the farmer becomes a broader man. He re- adjusts his home, he remodels hls 1arm' he tries to do everything in better way. He is more helpful to the community. He is a better member of society.
 pr. Knapp, who is travelling under the a,Isnices of the Southern Railway, left to- dav for Jacksonville, Fla, where he VIII deliver an address tomorrow