The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1912-01-26
PLAN 10 HELP PAINTERS.
Counties 4n Southern Maryland Are
Being Organized for COOPERATIVE
Work

D@AM& WEG@M1U1 ~ Nw~UP%A@Mf~
Work.
The farmers cooperative demon
stration work, first started In Texas
In 1904 by DIR. 8. A. Knapp, begun In
MARYLAND October /, 1911, with DR..
Augustus Stabler in charge, IL max
Inc progress in the Southern part
of the state The following gentle
men are Dr. Stabler's local agents.
Wilbur Dorsey, Annapolis Junction;
John II. Drury, Clancy; G.. II. Wath-
en-, Loveville; Sydney >. Stabler,
GRAFTON; and w. r. Lnthicum, La
Plata. These are part of an army Of
$50 men operating In IL states, in
which about 100000 farms are being
operated under the instructions from
the United States Department OF AZ
riculture.
This work comes nearer tO being
the ideal method or agricultural Cd
ucatiOn than any system yet devised
Every farmer who has progressive
ideas or who realizes there are some
things about farming that he does
not know, would like to have COM
petent adviser visit his farm and
confer with him i'm friendly way
concerning the best methods or I'M
proving it, fertility, increasing the
quality and quantity of the products
grown, and saving money or neces-
sary purchases. The agents who are
chosen and paid to perform this duty
live in the territory in which they
work and become thoroughly Compel
ent to give practical advice, just as
a practicing physician gets to know
his patients and can help them TO
Tra l.
ties
What The Agent Does.
If the agent goes To e mans farm
and finds stock and implements not Of
the best, he does not Insist upon
sweeping changes, for, If SO, no Co
operation would result, but he en-
deavors to help the farmer to pre-
pare better seed bed, select better
seed, do better and more intelligent
tillage, and, after obtaining better
crops and more valuable products,
he able I'D buy lime, seed and ferti-
lizer to improve the fertility. Again,
IL the farmer happens to be able to
make improvements, to buy better
stock, seed, implements or fertilizers,
there are many scientific and pract1-
cal questions to be answered by
man who is devoting his life to the
study Of such questions. The demon
stration iA OF value, for the scientists
agent is the direct carrier OF infor-
nation Of value, from the scientists
who work On experiment farms OF tn
laboratories, To the men on the farms
who can use the knowledge, but are
not in touch with the discoveries.
An experiment is an attempt to dis
cover something new, while DEM
onstration is the most effective way
to teach what is already known. The
farmer does the work himself and ID
the demonstration, furnishing All the
material and labor and receiving
nothing from the agent but tnforma-
ton and advice, but agreeing 70 fOl-
low instructions upon certain small
piece Of land to be devoted to the
growing of q definite crop, such as
corn, which the farmer wishes to
produce in the best manner. Hav-
ing done it once, he can do it again,
and tell his neighbors how he did
it.
Certain to do Better Work.
Thus every demonstration who ear
nestly strives to do good work upon
a small piece of land, Is certain to do
better work in future upon all the
land he crops, and Is as certain to
become a center of improvement in
his immediate vicinity. The circles
widen like the waves from a pebble
dropped into pond. The demon
stration plats are chosen by the
agent in places where the most peo-
Die will see them in their daily travel
along the public roads, and where
they are easy for the agent to reach
In making his trips through the
county. There is one local agent in
each county who is expected to Wis
it each demonstration once a month
during the growing season. In adj
dition to the demonstrators, whose
number is limited, there are lot OF
other men whom the agent would not
have time to visit, who are enrolled
a. "cO-operators," who endeavOr to
grow the same crops and may get all
the information they can from the
agent whenever they meet him, and
who receive the printed bulletins and
circulars from headquarters. Each
agent is expected to get as many CO.
operators around each demonstration
al possible, and seek to interest
them it, what Is doing
Inc agent usually gives HOlCG ny
a card few days ahead when H.
expects to be at certain place, 20
that the co-operators may meet him
in the field and compare notes with
each other.
The counties of Montgomery, Prince
Georges, Charles, St. Mary's, Calvert
and Anne Arundel are being organic
ed, and a number or demonstrators
in each county have already been en-
rolled These att first are generally
the men who are known as leaders
in agricultural and educational pro-
gress in their neighborhoods, but
gradually the more backward broth
ers will be influenced and drawn into
practicing better methods.-Baltimore
American.
Another Presidency For MIR. Bush.