Rocky Ford enterprise., 1911-12-29

one-sided, and / believe unfair to the
farming interests OF our county; the
matter OF contributing county funds
to help tide over the Agricultural Col
lege Extension work, was left to the
DCounty Agricultural Club. for recon-
mendations; the matter was taken up
at a meeting when there happened to
be light attendance, less than twen-
ty-five or thirty; the opposition to the
loan. was led by two principal speak
crs, Mr.. John Edgar and our Coun-
ty Commissioner, F. NJ. Harsip,
Mr.. Edgar said that he had pers
sonal grievance against the College
because he failed to connect up with
the veterinary man to save his pigs
from hog cholera He made a very
dramatic effort to discredit the whole
institution on that ground, and was
not willing to consider the explana-
tion, that the state appropriations
were being held up i'll Denver, Tor the
past year and that the college men
had had positive instructions not to
entail any expenses on state funds
that were not absolutely necessary,
as the college was already running
ON overdrafts on many accounts, be-
cause the money for appropriations
were not yet available. He said, the
Agricultural College has never. done
me one bit of good. not bit IN the
world" Yet last summer one of Mr..
Edgar's sons had field OF cabbage
threatened with injury from the cab
bage worm, he applied to the College
Experiment Station and was supplied
with complete spraying outfit with
out any charge, also the senior Ed
gar was supplied with enough
Grimms alfalfa seed to sow ten acres
with a seeder to sow 1t, without any
cost to him; when many other men
in the county were turned down, be
cause the College did not have funds
to supply all.
Our County Comimssioner, Mr..
+. NJ. Harsin, chimed in on the same
key as MIR. Edgar, he was not only
opposed to the extension and expert
mental work OF the college, but was
Sllso opposed to the Government cx-
berts who have been working III the
County; he intimated that his own ad-
vice to the men in this county was
worth more than all the experiment
..ers out of doors. He made very
uncalled for, and unkind attack on
the work of Mr.. II. o. Marsh, the
Government Entomologist. who most
every farmer and member of the club,
believes has done very efficient and
etfectual work in his line among the
farmers in this vicinity.
The discussion became SO unpleas-
ant, and overcrowding the time oil the
program that the president OF the
club put the question, and the propo-
sition was voted down, not because
the farmers of this county were dis
nusted with the work of the Agricul-
tural College and Experiment Sta
tion but rather because they feit the
county had already contributed its
A. Crowley
and Representative Baxter had tav-
ored and worked to see that the farm
ers 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 especial
l. the farmers are disgusted with the
way the politicians and Denver ring
are holding up the funds OF the farm
crs and other peoples institutions.
| am in a position to know that the
people OF this county ro appreciate
the help of the Agricultural College,
anr the fact that the college has main
tanned for over twenty years, local
field man, something no other county
in the state has had. yet man" OF the
counties are askin it and even VIII
,I.xy to share in the expenses of such
Kman, not to force help on such sell
Aade" men like Mr.. Edgar and Har-
IN. but to help the new man coming
into the county, and preventing him
making mistakes that others have
made, in other words TO 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
reo,iests for information relative to
farming questions by men i'll this
county, which always receives
courteous reply, and every effort pos
sible to satisfy the inquiry.
They want to know what kind OF
grasses have succeeded best here in
this county, what varieties OF corn,
wheat. barley. oats and all kiGds OF
this section; they ask all kinds OF
questions relative to cultural methods
OF beets. cantaloupes, alfalfa. and all
farm crops. They ask how to mix
snraying materials, and how to com
hat all kinds of insects. and plant dis
eases. We are called to advise on
DRAINAGE and irrigation and all kinds
of soil problems. 1t is YER probable
that many in the county never ask or
even think that there is anv informa
tion available at the Experiment Sta
ton. that they do not alreadv know
vet it is certain that very good num-
her that do. and it ma" he hard to
measure in tons, inches. crates or dol
lars what this help is worth the
-. county.
But we find in almost any COM
nunity some men who will oppose
any movement that does not origin
a,e with themselves. or at least in
some measure appeal TO their person
al vanity or aggrandizement. 1t is
- such spirits that we usually find
Ia. ra1