The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-08-28
BIC FUND FOR
BETTER CROPS.
Business Men Seek TO Pro-
m mote Agriculture.
"SEhD SCHOOL TO FARMERS"
More Than 100000 Already Raised.
Work In Charge of the Crop I'm
provement Committee, With Head
quarters In chicaso-Permsnent As-
riculturist In Each County.

PToNement committee, with Head
quarters In chicago-Permanent Ao.
rieulturist In Each County.
In addition to the work of farm in
struction now being carried on by tn,
national department Of agriculture and
various states and colleges, business
men are taking up the crusade in
what is probably the greatest move
ment ever started to stimulate agricul
tural development. Back Of the move
ment is the crop improvement commit
tee of the Council of Grain Exchanges
an organization composed of nineteen
OF the twenty-five largest exchanges in
the country.
The committee is engaged in an effort
to put in each of the counties Of every
state a trained agriculturist, whose
duty IT shall be to make a study OF
local conditions and suggest plans OF
scientific farm management for the
purpose of obtaining a larger yield of
better grain. A national fund to carry
on this work is now being raised. II
was started few weeks ago with a
contribution of S1,OO0,OO0 by one firm
alone.
Heretofore almost the only financial
aid given to agricultural development
In this country has come from the
states and the federal department of
agriculture. But lately business men
have awakened to the fact that the
best way to erect monument to them
selves is to endow for public use a
fund which will add to the benefits of
the people Primarily the prosperity of
the country depends upon the soil.
This notably opens a new field for phi
lanthropy mixed with sound business
sense.
Local Fund Must Be Raised.
In carrying on Its unique work the
crop improvement committee Is receiv-
ing cooperation from the government,
the state schools of agriculture, the
railroads, the grain exchanges, COM
mercial clubs and other important
bodies. 1t has become, in short, clear
ing house of information regarding ag-
ricultural development and Is uniting
all interests In introducing better farm
ing methods.
The committee will have Jurisdiction
over the national fund, and any county
In the country in which sufficient inter-
est is aroused will be eligible as a ben
eficiary. To obtain It's share each cOun-
' fy must have a certain sum subscribed.
This sum is to be collected by the
strongest organization in each county
and must equal annually per cent of
all tillable soil in the county. or a min
imum Of 500 from each township, to
be subscribed by the farmers.
4 A number Of counties in different
states are already employing trained
agriculturists, and more than sixty 9TH
er counties throughout the country
have had meetings Of business men
and land owners and have appointed
committees to raise the necessary local
Fund 80 that they may receive the ben
ef1ts offered
Naturally there are some skeptics-
men who have to be convinced against
their will and then watched to see that
they don't backslide after their conver-
Blon. Special plans have been devised
30 sustain the interest OF these men and
hlso to crack the shell of the man who
thinks he knows 1t all because he has
been practicing his grandfather's meth
bds all his life. One of these plans Is
Fo put the farmers into competition
with each other.
Boys and Girls to Be Interested.
at is the gaming instinct made prac-
|1cal," said Mr.. Bert Ball, secretary
bf the crop improvement committee.
Every man is interested If he thinks
pc can do something better than his
ellow. There are several methods to
induce each man to see himself as 9TH
rs see him, to learn his true place in
he farm equation. One way Is 10 give
ach man a number according to his
prop, based upon his own signed state
pent, The idea Is, OF course, to pre-
lent those below the average from
lacing all the blame upon Providence"
Another plan introduced by the com
2pittee is 10 get the boys and girls in
he rural schools interested IN testing
eed corn and other grains. They ex-
ect in this way to interest many farm
rs whom they could not reach direct
y. AS valuable as the boys clubs have
cen to the boys themselves, 1t may be
bid that the men who have worked
nth the boys, who have supplied the
rizes and given their counsel and ad-
ice have been equally benefited.
The committee believes that It is only
matter OF time until all of the rural
thools will teach at least elementary
yriculture.