The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1912-12-06
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ORANGE
COUNTY.

Agriculture is planning, with the
approval of Congress, to place
e' entually County Agent in ev-
ecv agricultural county in the
north. For this purpose the gov
eminent will allot to Orange Co
Vermont, funds at the rate of SlO0
per month and select and direct
the County Agent on condition
that funds are provided locally to
equal this amount. The total cost
per year of maintaining a county
agent is about $2400, of which the
department will furnish half. This
work is carried on by the Office
OF Farm Management, whose car =
ful Investigations of our local
needs and conditions have cover
ed several years. The work Of the
county agents in the middle west
has met with such enthusiasm and
spread so rapidly as to overcome
any fears of experimental stages.
The Duties of a County Agent.
To start out as a learner, not AS
teacher-first getting a thorough
knowledge OF the county, general
Information as to soils, census ing
ures, and results of any agricul-
tural Investigations relating DIR
Getty to the county.
To do field work, not office
WORK, studying the practices and
methods OF the successful farmers
on their own farms, and carrying
good practice from one farm to
another
To learn the important problems
OF the farmers, setting about to
work out the solution of them,
Wherever there is any chance OF
solving them.
70 commence next with some
one crop or other farm enterprise
and demonstrate the best known
methods with it. For this purpose
some 80 or 40 farmers should be
found who will be demonstrators
and carry on an acre of the one
crop according to directions. These
men should be visited once in 50
days and accurate records kept OF
the methods employed and results
obtained.
To undertake later to help as
many farmers as possible in the
handling of a whole field in such
a way as to show the best meth
DDS to other farmers. These CO.
operators should be supplied with
all the departmental publications
and other such material as will
help them.
To bring groups of farmers to-
gether to see the results of any
of the work of these demonstrat-
ors and co-operators whenever
possible, and also to show such
gatherings how to mix chemical
fertilizers, how to prune fruit !
trees, how to select and test seed !
corn, how to spray potatoes, and
the like.
To introduce new appliances, new
varieties of seed, new means of |
soil Improvement, such as the use
of lime or blowing under the |
green crops, and tell farmers
where to get all kinds of farm lit |
erature from the state institutions |
or the u. s. Department of Agri-
culture.
To help organize farmers asso-
Citations for marketing produce, |
COW testing, and the like (but as
sumo no office in any SUCH write |
short articles and circulars when |
pertinent, talk to farmers meet |
AllBC bhl hOl WIllC vi ldlh tAC6Dl
to the point and with a thorough |
knowledge of the subject.
To be in short a clearing house |
Of farmers information, keeping |
always the net income Of the |
whole farm in mind, and advising |
no radical changes except as the
result of long and thorough inves-
tigation.
The county agent collects the
skill and knowledge of the local.
ity and uses it, not for his own adj
vantage, but for the good of all
the farmers. Not only can he help
to improve farming methods and
thereby the profits of farming, but
MS travels through a region of this
size will introduce to each other
farmers Interested in growing the
same things or in selling the same
things in the same way, who may
be too far apart to discover the
others while working at home. The
work of the county agent becomes
/ means of making known to all
parts of a county the good things
n that county, to bring to every
me interested enough to question
Tim an answer based on local con-
iitions, and to promote a broader
,pirit of cooperation among small
and large.
The men chosen for this work by
he Department of Agriculture are
lble to help the farmers on some
at once, for they have
behind them all the knowledge
,ained by years of most careful
by this department
md ali the work of the State Ex-
pertinent Station, with whom they
re constantly in touch. 1t is
means of bringing to the farmers
-ery door not only all that has
,een learned about farming, but I
lso of learning much of a purely
ocal character and teaching it at
nee to those who can use il to I
he best advantage.
Bennington county this summer
rganized a County Improvement
and applied for
ounty agent, who is now at work.
Windsor county and Caledonia I
ounty recently organized Farm {
rs Associations, raised their half :
I the funds by subscriptions and
ill soon have county agents at