The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-09-24
BIG FUND FOR BETTER CROPS
MORE THAN 100000 RAISED TO
PROMOTE AGRICULTURE.

ment Committee. Permanent Ag-
riCuIturist For Each County.
In addition to the work of farm in
gtruction now being carried on by the
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. 1t
was started a few weeks ago with
contribution of $1.0OO,OOO 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 a monument to them
selves is to endow for public use
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
Ianthropy mixed with sound business
sense.
Local Fund Must Be Raised.
In carrying on it's unique work the
crop Improvement committee is receiv-
ing cooperation from the government,
the state schools of agriculture, the
railroads, the grain exchanges, COM
merc1al 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 ben
eflciary. To obtain it's share each coun-
ty must have a certain sum subscribed.
This sum is to be collected by the
strongest organization in each county
and must equal annually l per cent of
all tillable soil in the county, or min
tmum Of 500 from each township, to
be subscribed by the farmers.
A number of counties in different
states are already employing trained
agricuIturists, 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 so that they may receive the ben
afts 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 CONVEX
sion. Special plans have been devised
to sustain the interest Of these men and
also to crack the shell of the man who
thinks he knows it all because he has
been practicing his grandfathers meth
DDS all his life. One of these plans II
to put the farmers into competition
with each other.
Boys and Girls to Be Interested.
att is the gaming instinct made prac-
teal" said Mr.. Bert Ball, secretary
Of the crop improvement committee.
EVERY man is interested If he thinks
he can do something better than his
fellow. There are several methods to
induce each man to see himself as 9TH
ers see him, to learn his true place in
the farm equation. One way is to give
each man a number according to hts
crop, based upon his own signed state
ment The idea is, of course, to pre- |
vent those below the average from |
placing all the blame upon Providence"
Another plan introduced by the com |
mtttee Is to get the boys and girls in |
the rural schools interested in testing |
seed corn and other grains They ex-
pect in this way to interest many farm
ers whom they could not reach direct
ly. As valuable as the boys clubs have
been to the boys themselves, 1t may be
said that the men who have worked |
with the boys, who have supplied the
prizes and given their counsel and adj
vice have been equally benefited.
The committee believes that 1t is only |
a matter of time until all Of 1he rural |
schools will teach at least elementary |
agriculture.