Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-10-16
To Have Farm Expert.

Al m00ClnS IN OdCoS memorial
library in White River Junction, plans
were formed to get an expert from the
department of agriculture in Washing
ton to work in Windsor county for the
next two years. L. G. Dodge of the
New England farm management de-
partment of the government bureau
was present and discussed the matter
with a number of representatives from
different parts of the county. An
organization was effected, called the
Windsor County Farmers committee,
and officers were elected as follows
Chairman, H. NJ. Lee of Windsor
secretary, A. C. Hurd of White River
junction; executive committee, G.. ID.
Hazen, Jr., Of Hartford, E. S. French
Of Rochester, John circuit Of Chester,
A. W. Lawrence of Springfield.
A meeting for further organization
will be held in Windsor at the time Of
the corn show, Nov. 6 and z. If the
plans on foot are carried out they will
put this county among the leaders of
the progressive farming sections. The
government provides an expert 10
work among the farmers and furnishes
part of the funds. The National Grain
Growers association will give 81, 900
to any county that will take up this
work under certain conditions. The
desire is to raise the sum of 81, 400 for
use during two years of trial of the
plan and this sum will be matched ty
an equal sum from the federal govern
ment. Each town will be asked to
contribute it's quota, so that the
| burden will not be very heavy on any
one. Orange county has already taken
this work up, the pageants in Thet-
ford this summer having been for
raising money for the purpose. In
this county the Windsor board Of trade
has offered to give $500 and G. D.
Hazen, Jr., said that he was sure that
the town of Hartford could be depend
ed upon for at least an equal amount.
The same sentiment was expressed by
representatives from other towns, so
there was encouragement to go ahead.
The members of the executive COM
mittee were asked to secure pledges
in their respective towns. If the nee
essary funds can be pledged before
November l the work can be begun at
once, otherwise the plan cannot be put
into effect till next summer, for the
government appropriations for the
purpose are nearly exhausted.
The experts that the government
sent out under such arrangements as
are proposed for Windsor county are
trained men, who are agricultural
college graduates and have had expert
ence along this line of work. Their
instructions are in brief to
l. Get thorough knowledge of the
county, it's soils and the result of any
agricultural Investigations in it.
2. Do field-not office-work, study
ing the practices and methods of the
successful farmers on their own
farms, and carrying good practice from
one farm to another.
3. Learn the important problems OF
the farmers, setting about working
,, out the solution of them, wherever
: there is any chance of their solution
: 4. Take some one crop or othel
! farm enterprise and demonstrate the
best known methods in connection
with it. For this purpose some 80 OF
. 40 farmers should be found who will be
demonstrators and carry on an acre OF
y the one crop according to directions
: These men should each be visited once
in 80 days and accurate records kept o.
, the methods employed and results
Z obtained.
d 5. Undertake later to help as many
farmers as possible in the handling O
a whole field in such way as to shov
i the best methods to other farmers
= These cooperators should be supple,
I with all Department publications an(
i other such material as will help them
6. Bring groups of farmers to
gether to see the results of any of tn
work of these demonstrators and co
perators wherever possible, and ais
to show such gatherings how to mi
chemical fertilizers, how to prun
! fruit trees, how to select and tes
- seed corn, how to spray potatoes an
the like.
l. 7. Introduce new appliances, new
varieties of seed, new means of sol
improvement, such as the use of linn
: or blowing under the grain crops an
tell farmers where to get all kinds O
|. farm literature from the state institU
ton or the U. S. Dept.
8. Help organize farmers associa
3 tons for marketing produce, contest
ing and the like (but assume no offic
st in such), write short articles and cir
ID culars when pertinent, talk to farmers
meetings, but not write or talk excep
to the point and with thorough know
y edge of the subject.
9. Be in short a clearing house fC
s. farmers information, keeping Away
l. the net income of the whole farm i
mind and making no radical change
l; except as result of long and thoroug
: investigation.