The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1913-12-11
HOME VISITORS
TO HELP WOMEN
a Plan OF Augmentag the
County Agents Work.
1 GOOD MUSIC MASTER ALSO
Plans of Crop Improvement Commit
tee Adopted As q Whole-A For.
ester and Other Experts to Fol-
low.
BY w. P. Kirkwood.

BY w. P. Kirkwood.
National Crop Improvement Servicel
A count agent.
A home visitor.
A music master.
These are three needs for coun-
try life improvement. which it is the
aim of the West Central MINES sofa
Development association sooner or
later to secure for every one of the
seventeen counties in its territory.
Already fifteen of the seventeen
counties in the association have
county agents. and the other two
have the money all ready to put such
agents in the field as soon as the
right men can be found to fill the po-
sitions.
Aid for the Agent.
There is no doubt as. to the value
of the county agent. He has dem
onstrated his worth to the farmer in
thousand ways. The thing they
have in mind now is to increase the
range of his influence by multiply
ing farmers clubs through which he
may effect much of the work he now
has to do in person. The county
agent must become more and more a
directing executive, getting at the
farmers in their clubs and leaving
them to do the field work.
Advisers for Farm Homes.
The county agents work is with
the farmer and in the fields rather
than in the farm home. He is not
expected to be informed in domes-
tic science-sewing. cooking, and
household economics. But in these
things there is need of advice in the
farm home.
. The idea is not that of having a
visiting nurse, but of having woman,
trained as to the multifold duties and
problems OF the farm home, who can
do for the women of the farms work
similar to that done by the county
a. ,nts for the men of TIE '.--us.
Problems Are Many.
Here are some of lnem: Devel-
opment OF the cooperative spirit in
the home; simplification of the diet;
the building of convenient and sani-
tary houses; providing running water
in the house. also various mechani-
cal helps; good and convenient gar
dens, through women's organizations.
These are some of the larger needs,
in which woman who has studied
the problems of farm life can be of
help. And there are hosts of smaller
things in relation to which many =
farmers wife would welcome guild
ance.
Why 4 Music Master?
The demand for music master In
each county is but another logical
step. The old-time singing school
was one OF the great agencies thst
made life in the country in times
gone the more satisfying. 1t was
source of pleasure and entertain
ment, a social bond, and a means of
self-expression.
All of this, and more, singing UNI
der a master meant to the farmers
of years ago. Why could it not mean
as much to the farmer of today?
what we want" sajd one of the
officers of the association, .is to set
the whole region to singing. If We
can do that, or even approach it, we
shall do much to bring contentment
and stability to our people"
A Prairie Forester, Too.
One of the needs of farms on the
prairies of the west is protection from
the blasts which howl out of the west
and north in winter. In some of the
longer-settled regions the windbreaks
have remade the landscape.
Some help in this direction is to be
derived through the employment of 4
prairie forester by the school of agri-
culture at Morris. but such a man
cannot give his personal attention to
the particular problems of the indi-
vidual farmer. Consequently his
field work will be limited.
The Association Leader.
The West Central Minnesota De
velopment association has always
been Independent and progressive. In
order to build. up its basic industry
it sought to improve conditions with
in, and make them more attractive. 20
as to hold the population its terri
tory already had, before proclaimine
its lands widely to restless farmers
Of other regions. The wisdom of its
course has been amply justified. The
people of both town and country
have been bound together by splen-
did spirit of cooperation, and the
evidences Of substantial development
in the last two years are simply a..
tonishing. The new plans are GER
tain of realization in the early future.
if the development of the district con.
tinues At its present pace.