Evening journal., 1911-02-13
WOULD HELP
STATE FARMS
Friends Of Agricultural Ex-
tension Show Benefits That
Would Follow Passage Of Act
ADDITIONAL WEALTH WOULD
OFFSET ADDITIONAL EXPENSE

The bill of which notice was re-
Gently given in the State Legislature,
providing for a Department of Agri-
culture Extension in Delaware, is
believed by its friends to be one Of
vast potentiality in the development
of Delaware agriculture. Similar
laws, carrying appropriations aggre-
eating $3O1,7sO for the year 1903,
have been enacted in % States
and Territories. In some of these
States. notably the agricultural States,
the work has been so successful in
solving agricultural problems that
the appropriations for this special
work of agricultural extension will be
trebled this year.
One well-known authority has ans
wered the question, what is agricul-
tural extension?" with the statement
that It "is any and all forms of edu-
cational activities carried on away
from the college, but under its direc-
tion and supervision" II may be
classified under three heads.
First. The giving Of information
to the farmer of a specific nature that
he may apply to his own particular
problems.
Second. The giving of demonstra-
| tions to show how to apply the infor-
nation that has been furnished. Farm
ers are not different from any other
class in that they want to be shown
! Seeing is believing, and although they
may have the information necessary
at hand they want to see it ap-
piled.
Third The establishing Of ideals
or the giving of inspiration.
The manner of carrying out the pro-
visions of the bill now pending is q
local problem, and one that would
have to be worked out by the exten.
sion worker after he had familiarizet
himself with the conditions and needs
of the State. In all probability, if the
bill passes, the work will be started
by laying out a number of co-opera
tive experiment plots on farms in diff
ferent sections of the State. The pur
pose of the experiments will be t
demonstrate the advantages or disad
vantages of certain kinds Of fertil
izers, the adaptability Of particula
crops to different types Of soil. ant
the value OF various methods Of till
age. The extension worker will TAX
notes on the work during the seasoi
and at harvest time make the fina
weighing of the crop. perhaps at
farmers gathering, and show on tn
ground what the experiment ha
taught.
A most helpful feature OF agricul
tural extension, friend of the bil
says, is that the worker is CONSTANT
meeting farmers at their work and /
in position to help them solve som
of the problems in tillage, fertilit.
farm management, etc, that are "a
ways coming up. The extension ma
is a travelling expert whose service
, are given to the farmers by the Stat
! as one Of the means by which th
agriculture of the State may be d'
veloped.
. The bill should appeal with specis
force to land owners (many of whol
are women). who do not live on tn
land, but whose farms are intruste
to tenants. There are about 500
} such farms in this State II is argue
that these are not so productive nc
? so profitable as farms titled by thei
r. owners The friends of the measuT
b say that If an extension worker, b
3 tactful methods, could make the aver
81 age tenant farmer increase his ~
l revenue two dollars, he would ad
enough wealth to the State TO pa
for the cost of the extension depar
ment several times over.