Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-02-26
FOR ORLEANS COUNTY ACRICUL
TURAL ADVISOR.

CONT INUED FROM PAGE ONE
nation sent by the department of agri-
culture:
This department is now prepared to
pay half the expenses up to the sum
of $1,000 per annum ($1OO month";.
elect man and supervise his work in
such counties as will provide an equal
sum or more.
The man must be graduate of four
years course in an agricultural college
and have been farm bred, and have had
some experience on a farm or in inves-
tigating work which bring him close
to farm problems. since graduation.
Exceptions to these requirements will
be made only when some special fitness
overcomes them in an individual case.
A county agricultural agent must
know farming first hand and be we'll
enough balanced to prove to the farm
ers that he does.
The department will consider all ap-
plications from counties in order, and
those which come soon can without
doubt be filled by next July, unless the
present plans are discontinued in the
Department. There are now two coun-
ty agents at work in Vermont, in Ben
nington and Windsor counties No
other New England state has had any
formal request granted and only in one
or two cases has there been any inqui-
ry into the matter. Under the circum-
stances l am giving my personal at
tention to this work in Vermont, and
shall look forward to the time when
there can be a man employed in every
county in the state.
You may be interested to know that
= 40 ro,,rn;1 Of oh IN, ~,
cago is allotting funds to any county
two years. That agency will furnish
$1,000 toward that two years work,
and thus far the Department has been
willing to count that sum as part of
the funds provided by the county.
Regarding the funds given by the
Grain Exchange, Mr.. Bert Ball, secre-
tary of the Crop Improvement Commit
tee of the CounciI of Grain Exchanges,
writes that the Crop Improvement
Committee of the Council of Grain Elk
changes will give any county in YER
mont One Thousand Dollars when it
has done the following things:
Organized a county farm bureau
with bona fide membership, said
membership to be open to anyone in
the county desiring to join upon pay
ment of the dues, which shall be nomi-
nal. This bureau may be formed I'M
der the auspices of the already exist
ing organic alton if it is in satsfacto-
ry condition and ready to do work re-
quired and has an open membership.
This, however, is a matter for the ex-
ercise of the good business Judgment
of the local parties.
Raised a fund sufficient to employ a
trained county agricultural agent of
business tact and Judgment for term
of at least two years, at least good
part of said fund being subscribed by
local parties in the county, over and
above that received from taxation and
Governmental sources.
Gets it's county agent under con-
tract.
The fulfillment of the plan should
be guaranteed for two years by some
responsible parties in the county, say,
the officers Of the commercial Organi-
cation or the bureau.
We have already sent check to Ben
nington County and there are couple
of others hot on the trail. Our money
is given absolutely without strings and
is to be merged with the local funds.
In another letter Mr.. Ball writes
"Our fund at present is only for 100
counties. of which Is have already re
ceived their checks. We hope that
when our present fund is exhausted to
have it renewed, but we cannot guar
antee this. So it is up to you to get
your counties in among the first hur-
/ dred.'
| Quoting again from the U. S.. &C.
partment of agriculture:
The work will be in charge of a
trained agriculturist who will conduct
farm management field studies and
demonstrations among the farmers of
given locality.
He will acquaint himself as rapidly
as possible with the general agricul-
tural conditions of the locality, study
the various types of soils, the crops
that have been found to be best
adapted, and the types of farming
that have been most successful or
each type of soil.
He will spend his entire time in the
interests of improved farming in the
section, studying the methods and
practices of the most successful farm
erS on their FARMS, study their plans
and aid them in formulating bette
plans.
He will study in detail the methods
of the farmers in preparing their lant
for seeding. the methods Of cultiva
ton, the kind of fertilizer used, tn,
, kinds of seed, how 1t is selected ant
kept. how the crop is gathered and dis
posed of. He will study the live stool
on the various farms and the method
! of handling the stock He will stud
: every phase of all the farms he visit
! so that he may know what methods
t crops, and systems are best for the 10
! cality. and at all times wherever h
v goes he will give the farmers the ben
: eft of the information he gets. H
| will also give the farmers the benef
v of the results of scientific investigs
: tons conducted by the various expert
v ment stations and the U. S. Depart
ment of agriculture relating to a