Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-10
SESSIONS ARE HELD HERE
County and State Agents Gather at
National Museum.
SECRETARY WILSON'S ADDRESS
Praises Men for What They Have
Accomp1ished-Mo funds
Are Asked For.

| What Secretary Wilson characterizes as
! the most important event that has ever
marked the development of his depart
ment is the gathering here Of the county
| agents of the department, who are to
conduct the work of farm demonstration
| in the northern states. The county and
| state agents are holding daily sessions
| with the officials Of the Department of
Agriculture at the National Museum and
Will remain here until January q.
A great deal of interest is being aroused
throughout the country in the introduce
| ton of the county plan of helping the
| farmer on his own farm. The work in
| the north is in a measure based on that
! in the south inaugurated ten or twelve
years ago on the advent Of the boil
| weevil there. At the last session of Con-
gress a special appropriation was made
| for this work. and during the last year
this appropriation has been augmented
| by contributed funds from the agricul-
tural colleges, experiment stations and
private agencies within the states.
The departments plan. briefly, involves
close cooperative relations with the ag-
ricultural colleges. the agricultural col
| lege being recognized as the source ana
center of agricultural activity within the
state
Select State Leaders.
A state leader is selected jointly by the
agricultural college and the bureau
of plant industry, this state leader to
have charge Of all the work within the
state. Under the state leader county
agents are appointed whose duty it is to
act in the capacity of agricultural adj
visers and assist in a number OF ways IN
| the agricultural uplift of their respective
| localities BY this rather simple piece OF
| machinery it is hoped to bring to bear on
| the individual farmer the best informa-
| ton obtained by the general investfga-
! tons of the Department of Agriculture
and the special local Investigations and
work of the agricultural colleges and eX-
pertinent stations.
In all this work the Unconstitutional idea
| is kept in the forefront. 1t is an attempt
to teach the farmer by showing him,
| rather than trying to teach him through
publications. publications. OF course.
augment the demonstration. or showing
| methods, but the basis for the work Is
to be shown. rather than to be taught
| through the ordinary channels and in the
| ordinary way.
| About $50 of the leaders are in conven-
| ton, and the daily discussions are some
what in the nature of a schol of training.
| Institutional talks are given by members
of the departmental force, as well as by
state leaders who have been associated
closely with the state work.
Praise From Secretary Wilson.
Secretary Wilson compimented the men
on the progress made in the work up to
date He outlined briefly the history OF
the development of the work. starting, as
it did, eleven or more years ago in the
southern states as a result of the IN
vasion of the boil weevil He emphasized
the necessity for this kind of work IN
the north as much as in the south, ana
said that there were probably as many
poor farmers in one place as in another.
He made a particular point OF the fact
that this work to be successful must be
| co-operative between the department, on
| the one hand. and the colleges and eN-
pertinent stations. on the other.
The department did not desire to push
its way into any state. but stood ready
| to render assistance whenever such as
sistance was requested on the part of
| any state This joining of hands of the
| depar tment and the states. he beileVed;
| would go far toward making this kihd
! of work one of the most important UNI
| dertakings during his administration lie
| concluded his remarks by the statement
| that increased funds had been asked Tor
| TO further enlarge the scope of the work,
and that he believed the future held IN
| store for it much of promise.
full program has been provided Tor
| the meeting for the entire period. the
| ma ners announced being along many diff
| ferent lines of handling crops and ami
mails.