The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-10-11
OPENS BETTER
FARMING ERA
Organization Of County Crop I'm
provement Association Con-
sidered Forward Step

A start was made toward an era
of better farming in Benton County
when the preliminary organization
of the Benton County Crop Improve
ment Association was formed at a
meeting in the Commercial Hall,
Kennewick, last Saturday afternoon.
The meeting was attended by
twenty-five representative growers
and business men from Kennewick,
Prosser and Benton City. District
Horticultural Inspector F. E. De-
Sellem was elected temporary chair
man and Assistant Inspector Cross
land was made temporary secretary,
to serve until the annual meeting at
Prosser in December, when a full
set of officers will be elected.
The object of the meeting and of
the organization was explained by
Secretary Grassland in an interest
ing address extending over half an
hour. Mr.. Grassland told of the
needs of the farmers and the diff
culties which he has found besetting
them, in his travels as inspector
throughout his district. He pointed
out that although the high schools
of Prosser and Kennewick now have
agricultural courses, these courses
will not begin to bear fruit until
their graduates put into practice
their knowledge, which will not be
until a period of years hence. In
the meantime the present farmers
are really the ones who stand in
most need of schooling along prac-
tical lines, and the County Crop
Improvement Association offers the
only way to get such schooling to
the farmers Immediately and at a
minimum of cost. Mr.. Crossland's
andress. was received with marked
attention and was heartily aplauded
at the finish. 1t will be published
in full in later issue.
On another page we publish a
series of correspondence between
Mr.. Grassland and the crop improve
ment committee of the Council of
Grain Exchanges in Chicago. These
letters, which have led up to the
formation of the Benton County as
sociation, will give the reader an
idea of the plan and purposes of
the organization. Boiled down to
few words the object of the associa-
ton is to get the farmers in close
touch with the university extension
work of the National Department
OF Agriculture. The plan under
which the National Crop Improve
ment Service OF Chicago is working
is authorized by the government
and is the best way in which the
farmers of Benton County may
most readily obtain the benefits of
the practical demonstration work of
the Department of Agriculture.
Following Mr.. Crossland's a d :
dress, brief remarks were made by
many of those present, all showing
themselves to be in hearty accord
with the movement.
For the purpose of perfecting the
countrywide organization, districts
have been designated and an ad-
visory board of one member from
each district will be appointed by
the president, except in the cases
of Kennewick and Prosser where
three members from each district
are to he named.
Each district board member also
serves as chairman of his district
membership committee whose duty
it shall be to secure new members
and subscriptions. The member
ship fee has been fixed at mini
mum of 81 90 per year. The ad-
visor from each district is to hold a
district meeting at some time in
the near future at which two other
delegates shall be elected to repre-
sent, with the advisor, that district
at the annual meeting at Prosser in
December. Every resident of the
county, as well as all commercial
and other organizations will be no.
titled of the date of this meeting
and requested to participate.
A committee consisting of A. R.
Gardner of Kennewick, C. D. Craw-
ford of Benton City and William
Guernsey of Prosser were named to
draft the constitution and bylaws.
A committee of five was also ap-
pointed to interest Benton county's
four railroads in the movement and
if possible to secure their financial