Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-09-30
.PLEAF0RC0UNTY
DEM0NSTRATOR
Correspondent Urges Employ.
ment of Man to Instruct
and Advise Farmers
SUCCESSFUL ELSEWHERE
Expense Would be Small Com
pared with Results that
Could be Obtained

Editor Herald:
Forty million dollars is lot of
money. In fact. it is so large that we
don't realize how much it really is.
If we say it would be enough to pay
10000 farmers $4,000 each we begin to
comprehend more about it. And yet,
this vast sum, $4O,OOO,OOO.0O is the
official figure for the extra amount
received by the farmers of Mime
sofa for last years crop more than
they would have gotten under the
old system of farming. AS a result
of the interest and education along
these new lines of farming spread
by the means of the consolidated
rural schools, the agricultural high
school, the county demonstrators and
the agricultural schools and colleges
an average increase of two thousand
dollars for every farmer in the state
was obtained.
No wonder that our business and
professional men, as we'll as our far
mers, are taking a personal interest
in scientific farming which such
practical and concrete examples as
these can be shown. Also remember
that this sum was practically all pro-
fit, too. That's what counts. Why
profit, you say? Because it costs
practically no increase in farm ex.
pehses to produce 9dt. The farmer
had no more invested in land; he
paid no higher taxes; it cost him no
more to live for himself and family;
it took little more machinery; it
cost little more for labor. 1t takes
no more time or labor to feed a COW
well-balanced producing rations
than it does to feed poor stuff. 1t
costs no more nor takes any more
labor to feed good COW, a good hog,
or a good horse than it does inferior
stock. The same principle is true
of fruit, berries and other crops.
The County Demonstrator
AS simple money making propo
sition, we in town should combine
with the farmers in urging our coun.
ty commissioners to at once hire a
competent, capable and experienced
county agricultural demonstrator
Ask in any Minnesota county and you
will find both farmer and business
man praising the local county farm
expert. A prosperous farming com
munity means prosperous banks, pa
and towns.
1t is waste of space to discuss
Lewis county as an agricultural
section for every one comedies its
great possibilities and every tree fell.
ed means more splendid land open
for development.
Now, l believe the farmers are
capable of running their own bust
ness, but / do claim they don't get
in touch with better methods of do
ing their business like some other
occupations. The bankers have their
conventions; they have their nation.
al and state examiners, who in ad
dition to their examinations tell OF
new methods and plans. The mer.
chants have their travelling men who
tell of successful selling campaigns
elsewhere, of new styles, of new win
dow displays. The editors have their
exchanges and can CLEAN new meth
ods of getting news and presenting
it in the best manner, etc. But the
average farmer does not have an
equal chance to get in touch with
new ideas, new methods and new
farm machinery. He may read about
them, but don't understand them or
is skeptical concerning their adapt.
ability to his own needs. That's
where good county demonstration
comes in. Going from farm to farm
over the county, he can easily pick
out the weak spots in each farmers
methods and by advice, suggestion
and council accomplish much. All
of us welcome practical suggestions
as to how to accomplish the same
result with less labor or time, or
how to do more with the same ex-
penditure of time, money and en-.
ergy.
Our county farm expert is both
scientific and practical. He can ad-
wise how to till land and what it will
cost; how to prune trees and when /;
, his soil analysis shows what is need.
ed as fertilizer; he carries figures
on silos, electric lights, gasoline en-.