Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-09-19
Object of the Work and Results
Obtained-Some of the
Prominent Features.
GOING TO THE FARM HOMES
Thirteen Campaigns Have Been Car
ried on In Michigan, Ohio and Hill
noIs-Holden's Plan Meets Warm
Reception With the Farmers.

Holden was the originator OF agrf
cultural demonstration trains; of ag-
ricultural short courses, and many
other effective plans, through the
agency of which millions of dollars
have been added to the agricultural
wealth of this country.
The latest plan of Holden Is to
place alfalfa upon every farm. There
are three prominent features In his
plan:
lively new crop into the Corn
Belt, Southern and Eastern
states.
(2) Going direct to the homes of the
farmers, where meetings are
held in the fields, and success
and failure discussed according
to local conditions.
(3) The use of that most modern ve-
hicle-the automobile.
Purpose OF Campaign.
The primary purpose of the cam
paign is to show the American farmer
that alfalfa is the most profitable crop
he can grow; that 1t can be grown
profitably upon every farm; that 1t en-
riches the soil; increases farm values;
stimulates live stock growing and DAD
rying; produces double that Of other
hay crops, and is better feed.
Thirteen campaigns have thus far
been successfully conducted In Mich
igan, Ohio and Illinois.
Some of the Results.
Results of tho Kent county (Mich.)
campaign are:
| (D Six thousand farmers visited at
their homes during q flve-day
campaign.
| (2) Thirtytwo meetings held.
t3l Three hundred and seventy-five
miles Travelled by the Alfalfa Au
tomobile Train.
| (O One hundred and thirty-six alfalfa
talks made by the Holden stan
of alfalfa lecturers.
| (5) Many applications for similar cam.
paigns from all parts of the
United States.
The Kent county campaign has been
followed by campaigns In 'Allegan,
Barry, Grand Traverse and st. Clair
| counties, Michigan; Van Vert, Marion,
|
| ties. Ohio; and Sangamon, DuPage
| and Kane counties, Illinois.
Great Meeting In Ohio.
AT one meeting in Ohio upon the
! farm OF Joseph e. Wing. near Mechan.
icsburg. nearly 1000 people gathered
from all parts of Ohio and adjoining
states to learn more about alfalfa. Al
this great meeting the Ohio State AL.
raifa Growers association was organ.
ized. Over 300 automobiles made un
the alfalfa train. 1t Is recorded as
tne greatest agricultural assemblage
ID the history of Ohio. Other Ohio
counties where the work has been
taken up report success on every
hand.
Sangamon and Kane counties. I'LL
nois. have both conducted great cam.
palgns. At one meeting In Williams.
vile, ILL.,, over 1900 farmers came to
hear the alfalfa lecturers.
In all Of these campaigns which
were conducted within a period of
about two months nearly $4,000 farm.
ers have been reached with the pos.
pei of alfalfa.
AS result also Of the campaien
work II is conservatively estimated
that 100000 acres Of alfalfa will be
seeded during this and the coming
season.
Such ls the result of the Initial work
OF campaigning for alfalfa, but vastly
moro than this tangible result has
Deen accomplished. Every farmer
throughout the region where the work
was conducted is talking about al.
1alfa- The cooperation of the schools
IN the territory is a very important
ana eHectiye feature. School officials.
from the highest to the lowest have
never failed to appreciate the oppor.
tunity.
Professor Holden has exnressed
hlmseif as considering it the most
wonderful experience and the most .
beneficial trip from the farm stand.
point that he has ever taken.
But this is not all-whereyer the
farmers of any community are inter
ested In the growing of alfalfa. when
possible a follow-uD man. thorough in
MIS- knowledge Of alfalfa culture will
Do sent out to assist them In getting
start He will live with tho
farmers and aid them In solving
the problems at home. He will
go from farm to farm upon re-.
quest and study success and failure.
Before the coming of 1914 cam.
paigns will have been conducted in
every part of the United States and
canada Interest is growing 30 rap
Idly that many counties have Organized
campaigns and undertaken the work
without assistanos from tho outside.