Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-22

sixty-five of them located in that
many counties. Other states have
them, even as many as one for every
county or more. 1t is a new thing in
agriculture, not a new fad, but a big
lusty notion. True, they do not bear
the name Farm Doctor" but why
not? Is that not what farm dem
onstration agent is, after all? Is he
not called upon to prescribe a soil
treatment, to tell how to cure it of
sickness, how to build up its
strength?
Soil does get sick. Its ailments are
many. Its chief and most besetting
trouble is that of being rundown on
account of ocerwork and improper
diet.
The farm demonstration agent has
a few we'll tested remedies to apply
wherever a farmer is willing. Some
of these prescriptions are deep plow-
ing. crop rotation, turning vegetable
matter under, lining, shallow cult
walton, thorough preparation of seed
bed, growing legumes, etc.
Doctors Advice Is Free.
The farm doctors advice is free.
and that is perhaps the reason that
more DO not take it. Usually not
many farmers can be induced to ac-
cept the farm doctors advice until
it has been preceded by some mis-
sionary work Testimonials must be
produced. But wherever an oppor-
tunity is afforded to apply treatment.
the soil will show for itself so that
the whole community may see and
know. The hard heads passing by
the demonstration field can not help
taking notice that there is differ
ence in favor of the new way, and
after this preliminary "sheepish' in
terest, they all come round.
This showing" business of farm
doctors has been going on all over
the country and everywhere the re-
suit has eventually been the same.
Farmers have learned new ways and
improved old methods.
Who is taking so much interest In
the farmer that he is presented the
free service Of a farm physician?
That is a little story in itself. Briefly
told the farm doctor is the bridge
DeIWe cen the agricultural StltullSl ana
the farmer in the field. His is a bust
ness Of taking determined facts of
the test plats and the laboratories
of the scientist and applying them
to the farm conditions by telling the
farmer how to do it,
Federal Government Co-operates.
The farm demonstration agent is,
therefore. the product Of the scien-
tific side of. agriculture. True the
farm doctor is not paid entirely by
the State Government, but his serv-
ices are paid for in part by a county,
a community. or by a number or
private subscriptions. The part which
the Federal Government plays in IT
is to duplicate that which has been
done by the State, County or COM
munity and give general direction or
a least cooperate with the state
College of Agriculture in giving gen
eral direction to the work which IS
to be done
What is the need of discovering i'm
portant things relative to agriculture,
things that tend to cheaper the cost
of crop production and increase the
farmers profits, unless these dlscoN-
cries are transmitted to the farmer
If the farmer were left to tind out,
he would be a long time at it IN
aided. Hence, those who have been
selected to make laws and direct
public revenues to render the largest
amount of public welfare have con-
sidered that since everybody ls inter
ested in cheaper food, nothing is,
therefore, more important than to put
into the hands Of the farmer at once,
all the information to this end that IS
possible
Cost Tells on Pantry
The fact is that the high cost Of
q. ola nf nn,NT
people, famine in meat butter, eggs
and other expensive but important
articles of diet. If the high cost Is
not checked, the famine will continue
to encroach inch by inch upon the
pantry.
Perhaps 1t was a realization of the
impending danger that led the De
partment of Agriculture Of the Unite1
States to master quickly suIpIlS-
ingly large army of agricultural eN-
perts and workers whose mission $
TO go out and induce the farmers 10
produce larger crops at lower COST,
not only that the hungry may De lea
more cheaply, but that the farmer
may get just returns.
Be that as il may 1t remains that
the farm doctor is now to De
found everywhere in the land, busy
seeing to il that every farmer pos
sible is given all of the useful lnfof-
nation that he will take.
This farm doctor is not stranger
not an imported product but ne IS
none other than one Of the most
prominent. progressive, intelligent
common sense farmers of the coun-
". What he is teaching, he is prac-
ticing on his own place. His spe-
cial training is usually not extensive
Il Is perhaps no more than a snort
course in agriculture, and confer
ences about the special message to
be carried to the farmers Of the re-
speCLive communities.
"9s-SEl" Farmer Shows Worth.
OF course. when this practical farm
II takes up the work he is at firSI
dubbed by the shallow wits or the
community as a book farmer, an
agriculturist who gets up early, drives
TO town and spends the day ana an
the stock phrases of the kind, but
when this progressive farmer has the
results to show. his home would
have a path beaten to it made by IN
quirers, were it not for the telephone.
The farm demonstration agent can
always find in each community men
whose heads lift above the general