The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-08-09
STILL AN OPPORTUNITY
To Secure an Agricultural Expert
Organization Must Be Per.
fected at Once.

OTSdnizatiOn MUST DO For.
feoted at Once.
The Improvement Association de-
voted some time Tuesday to consider
ing the proposition of making an effort
to secure the assignment of one of the
government agricultural experts to
Shiawassee county. Secretary Seeg-
miller presented a communication from
the National Crop Improvement Com
mittee of the Chicago Board of Trade.
which has organized to assist counties
in work along this line by donating
$1,000 under certain conditions, and
stated that he was also in communica-
tion with a Chicago firm which was
also making donations to push this
work. Fred Welch, member Of the
agricultural committee, stated that he
had been in correspondence with the
Crop Improvement Committee and had
been informed that II, was the intention
little later on to run train through
the state from which speakers would
discuss different phases of farm i'm
provements, particularly the growing
of larger and better crops. Following
the reading of the letter printed below,
E. y. Dewey suggested that the COM
mittee on agricultural interests take
the necessary steps to present this ques-
tion to the board Of supervisors with a
10 10 r.
necessary to secure the services of an
expert for the coming year, also sug-
gesting that possibly Clinton county
might join with Shiawassee in this,
thus dividing the expense 80 that not
more than $500 would be required from
either county. The letter below was
written to Congressman Fordney by the
Chief of the Bureau of Plant Industry
of the Department of Agriculture under
date of July 13:
Dear Strive haye your letter of
the Sth instant, addressed to Mr.. J. G.
Mcdowell, of our Office of Farm Man
agement, in which you ask what must
be done by the citizens of Shiawassee
county. Michigan, to secure the services
of an agricultural adviser.
In order to secure county agricul-
tural expert, we are asking the coun.
ties in which this work is undertaken
to raise at least half the salary and ex
penses of the agent to be located there.
oDI oI1 30 oh of4s
room and equipment at some central
location. This Bureau, through its
Office of Farm Management co-operat-
ing with the state authorities, will tnen
furnish (when funds are available) the
other half of the salary and expenses,
appoint the agent, and supervise the
work. All the funds in sight for this
work in the appropriation bill now be-
fore Congress have already been al.
lotted on this basis, and many more
demands for assistance are coming in
each day. There is bare possibility
that certain sections of Michigan which
have asked us to cooperate may not be
able to meet their half of the expense,
in which case we might be able to CO.
operate with Shiawassee county. The
delay in Congress in passing the agri
cultural bill will result in the accumu-
lation Of funds allotted for July, which
may he sufficient to enable us to CO.
operate with Shiawassee county.
T., ,ooa bocaxar xra boya No frodc
available, the county might organize on
its own initiative, paying all the ex.
penses for this year. In that case, If
the agent selected for the work came
up to the department standard we could
appoint him collaboration in this Bu-
reau. This would carry with it the
use of official stationery of this Depart
ment, ETC., amounting in value to $3.50
to $500 year, and in addition we
would take the agent into our organi-
zation and give him exactly the same
supervision as though we were paying
our full share of the expense; and next
year, should Congress continue its pres
ent generous support toward this work,
we would come into the cooperation
with our full share of financial support.
For this first year, some counties are
organizing their work in such q man
ner as to receive the $1,000 bonus offered
by the crop Improvement committee of
the Council of Grain Exchanges of
Chicago. for the details Of which the
committee may be addressed at Room
L, Board Of Trade Building, Chicago.
Ill.
Our suggestion would be, therefore.
that Shiawasseee county organize and
send in it's application direct to the
Office of Farm Management of this Bu-
reau. II money Is available at that
time, we will gladly cooperate; If not,
we will foster the movement and come
into 1t just as soon as funds are avail
able.
Mrs. A. M. Bentley, Mrs. Hugh Nc
Ocrdx Of kh;s citv and Mias Anna Par