The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-12-18
DOES GOOD WORK IN UPBUADlNG OF
 COUNTY SCHOOLS

/rha Pannington association is typ icaI of the county organizations thaI are doing notable work in the up building of rural schools. Such as- sociations as this emphasize the I'm neratiye need for organized effort in any movement for school improve ment in the country districts. The account is an advance state rnent from the report of the Cornfnas- sioner of Education, 913-Ed.)
 The Bennington County Improve ment Association was organized in March, 1912, by over 100 prominent business men of the county, 1ncIuo- ing men engaged in manufacturing, trading. and farming. It concerns itself with whatever is for the better ment of the county. It was formed to stimulate activities for economic, educational, social and moral m provement and to furnish leaders for such betternent work. IT proV1oeS the machinery for putting into oper- ation policies generally regarded as desirable, but which individuals or in dividual communities could not put into operation The county was se- lected as a unit because of the inter community aspect of the improve ment work The association is com mftted to the following principal lines of activities:
 IA better and more profitable az riculture.
 Better roads, with more eff cient system of road administration.
 3-A more adequate system of pub lie schools, which will lead the small isolated rural school to a higher plane of efficiency.
 4-The development of home i'm dustries.
 5-The. Improvement of sanitary and hygienic conditions.
 6-The promotion of adequate play and recreation facilities.
 7-The fostering of a more evenly distributed social life.
 S-The furtherance of all plans for civic betterment and county beautifi- cation.
 An idea of the activities of the asso- citation may be obtained from state ment of the definite accom- p1ishnents in the year and a half of it's existence.
 Agriculture.
 A county farm agent was obtained through the cooperation of the Unit ed States Department of Agriculture and the Soil Fertility League of Chi cago. This agent is furnished an au- tomobile by the association. He was visited approximately 200 farms in the county, some of them several times. He has addressed 30 farmers meet ingS and has secured the cooperation of 60 farmers in undertaking several AOA O4 0G1QOnSIFdl1On WOIk. 4n0y are cultivating various crops under his direction. With the cooperation of the Statae college of agriculture, he is taking a farm f1nancia1-record survey for the purpose of obtaining data to determine what forms of farming pay best in that county.
 Through his activities, the Benning- ton Farmers League has been organ ized, and by the end of the year it is expected that a local association will be formed in every township. The purpose of the League and the local branches is to enable the farmer to buy and sell comparatively. During the year 100 farmers bought their fertilizers through the county league
 With the cooperation of the school superintendents and teachers, a be- ginning has been made in establishing boys agricultural clubs in connection with these schools. Much work has also been done in seed testing in the schools, under directions furnished by the county farm agent.
 Public Roads.
 A Se1ectmen's and Roadnasters' As sociation was formed as one of the first activities of the County Improve ment Association. An expert from the Federal Office of Good Roads was ob- tained, who spent the summer and fall of 1912 and the entire season when road construction was possible in 1913, in the county. This agent