La Junta tribune., 1911-12-30
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
AND FARMERS.
BY Phiie x. si'nn.

The article In last weeks Rocky
Ford Tribune relative to Farmers
/ Refuse to be Blsd'' was rather one
sided. and believe unfair to the
/ farming interests Of our county. The
matter OF contributing county funds
I to help tide over the Agricultural
college extension work. was left to
the Otero Agricultural Club for re-
commendation. The matter was
taken up at meeting when there
happened to be light attendance,
! less than twenty-five or thirty. the
opposition to the loan being led by
j two principal speakers. Mr.. John
/ Edgar and our county commissioner
IF. ". Harsin. Sir. Edgar said that
I he had a personal grievance against
4 the college because he failed to con
meet up with the veterinary man IN
save his pigs from hog cholera. He
made very dramatic effort to dis
credit the whole institution on that
ground. and was not willing to con
slider the explanation that the state
appropriations had been held up In
Denver for the past year and that the
college men had had positive instruc-
,ions not TO entail any expenses on
state funds tina, were not absolutely
necessary. as the college WAS already
running on oycrdrafts on many ac-
counts, because the money for sppro-
prlations were not yet available. He
said, the Agricultural College has
never done me one bit of good, not
bit In the world" Ye, last sum
mer one OF Mr.. Edgar's sons had a
field OF cabbage threatened With In
Jury from the cabbage worm. He
applied to the College Experiment
Station and VAS supplied With
complete spraying outfit without, any
charge. Also. the Senior Edgar. was
supplied with enough Grimm's alfalfa
seed to SOW ten acres. With seedor
to SOW II. without any cost to him.
when many other men In the cuon'y
were turned down. because the col
legc did not have funds TO supply all
Our county commissi iorer. r NJ.
Harsin. chimed in on the same key As
Nj. Edgar. II. was not only oppos-
I'd TO tn. extension and experimental
work OF the college. bu, WAS also OPP
posed to the government, experts who
have been working in the county.
He intlmat.d that his own advice To
the men In this county VAS worth
more than all the ~xperiment.rs out
of doors u. made very uncslied
for and unkind attack on the work
of II. o. Marsh. the government en-
,omolo.is', whom almost every far
mer and member Of the club believes
has done very efficient and sff.ctuai
work In his line among the farmers
In this vicinity.
The discussion became so unpleas-
ant. and oycrcrowding the time OF
the program. that the president OF
the club pu, the question. and the
was voted down-not be-
cause the farmers OF this county were
disgustcd with the work OF the AK.
rlcultural College and Experiment
Station. but rather because they
felt the county had already contrib
u,cd It's funds and that our Senator
Crowley and Representative Baxter
had favored and worked to see tina,
the farmers of this state. and this
county did receive the help that the
agricultural interests OF this state are
entitled to The people Of the state
and especially the farmers are disgust.
cd with the way the politicians and
the Denver ring are holding up the
funds OF the farmers and other poo.
pies institutions.
| am In u position to know that
the people OF this county do appre'
ciato the help OF the Agricultural
College. and the fact that the col.
leg. has maintained for over twenty
years local field man. something no
other county In the state has had.
Yet many OF the counties are ask
Ing 1, and even willing To share In
the cxpcns OF such \ man--not to
force help on such "sclf-maie" men
like Mr. Edgar and MIR. Harsin-but
to help the new man coming Into
tho county. and preventing him max.
Ing the mistakes that others have
mnic-in other words. 10 assist the
man who Is falling behind the aver.
age. and thus return TO the county
the added asset OF more successful
farmers.
Every year we have thousands OF
telephone calls. letters and personal
requests for information relative "a