Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-01-12
Farmers Cooperative Demonstra.
tion Work.

Few people. comparatively. are yet aware
of the rapidity of growth and the presen
magnitude of this good work, which comes
nearer to being the ideal method of agri
cultural education than any system ye
devised. Every farmer who has progress
sive ideas or who realizes there are some
things about farming that he does not
know, would like to have a competent ad
visor visit his farm and advise with him
in friendly way concerning the best meth
DDS of improving its fertility, increasing
the quality and quantity of the products
grown, and saving money on necessary
purchases. The agents who are chosen
and paid to perform this duty live in the
territory in which they work and become
thoroughly competent to give practical ad-
vice, just as practicing physician gets to
know his patients and can help them to
avoid mistakes and overcome difficulties.
If the agent goes to a mans farm and
finds stock and implements not of the best,
he does not insist upon sweeping changes,
for if so, no cooperation would result. but
he endeavors 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 valu-
able products, be able to buy lime. seed,
and fertilizer to improve the fertility.
Again, if the farmer happens to be able
to make improvements, to buy better stock,
seed, implements, or fertilizers, there are
many scientific and practical questions to
be answered by man who is devoting his
life to the study of such questions. The
demonstration agent is the direct carrier
of information of value from the scientists,
who work on experiment farms or in lab
orat0ries, to the man on the farm who can
use the knowledge but is not in touch with
the discoveries.
An experiment is an attempt to dis
cover something new, while demonstration
is the most effective way to teach what is
already known.
The farmer does the work himself and
is the demonstration, furnishing all the ma
terial and labor and receiving nothing from
the agent but information and advice, but
agreeing to follow instructions upon GER
tain definite small piece of land to be de-
voted to the growing of definite crop, such
as corn, grass. alfalfa, or other crops which
the farmer wishes to produce in the best
manner. Having done it once he can do
it again, and tell his neighbors how he
did it.
Thus every demonstration who earnestly
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 GER
tain to become a center of improvement
in his immediate vicinity. The circles
widen like the waves from pebble drop
ped into pond The demonstration plats
are chosen by the agent in places where
the most people 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 visit each demonstrators
once month during the growing season.
In addition to the demonstrators, whose
number is limited. there are lot Of other
men whom the agent would not have to
visit, who are enrolled as "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
WIN IcCclNc inc pTllltu DulttlHS ana CHI
culars from headquarters. Each agent is
expected to get as many co-operators
around each demonstration as possible, and
seek to interest them in what he is doing
The agent usually gives notice by card a
few days ahead when he expects to be at
a certain place, so that the co-Operators
may meet him in the field and compare
notes with each other. There are now
twelve States thus organized, with about
$50 agents and 100000 demonstration
farms.
1t is estimated that about one million
farmers are thus receiving practical edu-
cation by seeing good farming done in
their own neighborhoods In Maryland,
which is the most recent State to be in
vaded by the system, the five southern
counties are already organized with a full
complement Of local agents and gOOdly
number of demonstrators and co-operators
who will prepare to grow better drops in
1912.
DIR. Augustus Stabler, of Brighton, is the
district agent in charge of the work, and
under him as local agents are Wilbur Dor
sey. Annapolis Junction John H. Drury,
CLANCY: G. F. Wathen, L0veville W. r.
Linthicum, La Plata, and S. S, Stabler.
Grayton.