The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-07
Eloquent Facts Given in
Report Of State Agent
Sandy.
BOYS CORN CLUBS
BIG ACHIEVEMENT
Results Will Be Permanent by
Educating Young People Back
to Observation-Disclosures
Through Agricultural and
Educational Fairs-Rural
Conditions Benefited.

Eloquent facts showing The ,remend.
GUS ben@At derived from tho n.,En,,i'
cooperative demonstration work bJ
tho farmers OF Virginia nre given III
the annual report made by 7. Q. samds.
State age2:, u the Caliod Asr.tui.
tural Board.
The work is composed Of ono State
agent two district agents and thirty
one local agents, who in iyll worked
che following thirty-five countioE.
Amherst, Appomuttox. Ame,lu, Pow.
hatan. Alhemarlc. Bedford, guclsing-
ham. Brunswick. Chesterfield. Cuiprp.
or. Mecklenburg. Nottoway. Nauee.
mond, Norfolk. Orange. Prince 0oorge,
Rockingham. Dinwiddie. FsirtaX.
6oochland. Greeaesviiis. Gloucester.
York Halifax. Henrtco, Loudoun
Louisa. MfddieEex, Seson. Prince Et.
ward. Roanoke. Sussex, Fiuvnnna,
James City. Augusta
The approximations made By tho
counties are used to pay half OF the
salaries OF the local agents. The 70.
ma!nins half IS paid onn-fourth by tho
General Education Board Of New
York. and one-fourth b. the United
Agricultural Board of Virginia Tho
state agents and District agents.
salaries and travelling expenses arc
paid entirely By the General Educa-
ton Eoard.
The State agent travelled during the
year 1911. l6,477 miles by rail-. and -
COS miles by team. He held during the
year Just past cightytwo meetings
in different counties in the interest OF
the work. and two general agents
meetings. These general agent meet
jnEs were held for the purpose of m
structing the district and local agents
aionS the lines OF the work and the
most practical way of reaching tho
people 20 the best advantage. He has
under his supervision eight counties
and In addition TO the 400 farms visit
cd In company with the local agents,
when making his rounds. hiss given
personal supervision TO elevc. farms
owned by prominent men IN tha dia-
eTcnt sections of the States, and 30
situated as to demonstrate to advant-
age, to the public at large. the meth
DDS advocated BY the demonstration
work
j. 6 Farrar. district agent. having
under his supervision thirteen coun-
ties Travelled during the past year. TO-
's6 miles by ran, and 2.l3s miles BY
team
w. C. shaclselford. Jr. district agent.
having under his supervision eleven
counties. Travelled in 1911, le.059 miles
by rntL and 1903 miles BY team.
Plan of District Agents.
The plan followed by our district
agents is TO visit each OF the local
agents In their respective counties
once each month, and visit with tho
local agents as many OF his demonstra-
tors and co-operators as II is possible
to do IN tho limited time he has to
Stve each agent
The thirty-one local agents, work
ing from three 10 six days per week,
and from six to twelve months pc,
year. averaging about seven m@ths
each. travelled by rail In 1911, -al,4So
miles. and by team 1880 miles. averag-
Ing by team 346 miles each per month
and about nfteen miles each per day.
They have visited on an average Al
$50 farms per month They have l.
Sf5 demonstrators, $500 CO. CD orators
and 1886 Corn Club boys.
IT Is tncalculable how much good a
trained agent can accomplish for al
county. He As really q missionary
among the farmers. a doctor of agri-
culture, talking land Improvement,
more corn, more grass more hay to
the acre, better live stock. better out
buildings, more comfortable and con
renient dwellings. If the lesson had
just been learned by the actual demon.
strators. a great deul would have been
accomplished. but as an object lesson
the value OF the work has been meal !
culable to thousands OF farmers whose
names are not listed on our books.
Boys Corn Clubs.
In my opinion there is nothing in
connection with our work which is
calculated to accomplish greater. more
lasting results than the Corn Clubs
organized for our boys. 1t is deplor-
able, but nevertheless true, that our
young people have become educated
away from the farms by both parents
and teachers. This Is often done un- :
knowingly by complaining that every
thing In connection with farm life f.
hard work without compensation Tlis
mistaken idea we put forth our best
efforts to demons;ra:e is not true This
is most effective when done throuph
the boys. Seeing Is not always believ.
Ing, but when boy does thing him !
self he knows and his parents know
our methods are to be depended upon
Our average this years for adult
demonstrators In the State OF Vir-
ginia is 81 3-3 bushels of corn to tho
acre, and for the Corn Club boys, 65 5.5
bushels to the acre, at IN average cost
of 81 IL cents per bushel. This high
cost of production is due to the unpre-
cedentcd drought this past season.
The Increased yield OF corn per acre by
the boys over the men is due to the
fact that a boy follows instructions
more closely than a man. The largest
yield Of corn made in the State thisj
year was made by Corn Club boy,
John A. Johnston, Jarratts. Sussex
county. 1874 4-5 bushels per aero.
Loudoun county has twenty-one boys
making an average yield of 80 SO
bushels to tho acre.
Rockingham vounty has thirty
seven boys making an average Yield
OF 68 bushels to tho acre.
Albemarle " county has thirty-onel
- ffont InIIad an ISEcnnd pace -