The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-02-28
Sent Gut By Government To
Coach The Farmers
VIII Show Latest Methods
And Business System
To The Field And The Dairy
...Varied Work Done

/
been sent out by the department Of
agriculture number of young men az.
signed to aid the American farmer in
solving his agricultural problems and
to increase his income to q figure com.
mensurate with the labor involved in
his various enterprises. These coun.
ty agents. as they are called by the de.
partment, are but part OF the 15O be.
Ing sent out to all parts Of the country
In the governments new policy Of
carrying the agriculture department
to the farmer" As soon as more men
can be obtained and properly trained,
they Will be despatched on this mission
that is doing SO much to awaken the
farmers Of this country to the posi-.
bilities of their own farms.
This farm Improvement work was
started by the department Of agricul.
ture in the southern states few years
ago. Its success was marked and soon
Congress was moved by requests from
other states to authorize the extension.
Of the work in the North and West, as
well. 1t is given to the department to
find the proper men, to train them, and
to send them into the counties that
are willing to share in the expense of
their maintenance.
1t is not as instructors primarily,
however. that these men go among the
farmers. They bring with them the
knowledge OF modern methods of farm
ing and familiarity with the latest find
ings of the governments experts on the
subject. Local problems, however, DIFF.
fer so as to require local solutions, 1t
has been found and the county agents
must first work shoulder to shoulder
with the local farmers in the study of
their needs and obstacles.
For this reason. the agent will stay
u year. two years, or even three in
one county spending his days with the
farmers in the field, in the orchard and
in the dairy. notebook in hand, and his
evenings In bringing to bear upon the
condition revealed the expert knowl-
edge with which he is required.
Nor does the work of the county
agent stop there. He must at the out
set familiarize himself with al the geo.
ogical and soil maps of the county, and
II none are available make them him.
self. He must become acquainted with
all the farmers organizations, socie-
ties and associations, and extend his
acquaintance as widely as possible.
Upon first arriving. he makes rap
Id agricultural survey of the entire
area for which he Is to be responsible.
taking two or three weeks for the
work. Upon this preliminary trip he
tries to visit successful and progress
sive farmers. He learns the crops they
are growing post successfully, methods
what stock is most profitable, the rota-
tions OF crops followed, local tillage
practises, labor problems and the IKE.
This rapid survey puts the agent at
the outset In touch with the best agsi-
cultural knowledge of the county and
gives him an acquaintance among the
best farmers of the section. Then
comes the work OF recording the av-
erage yields per acre, the condition Of
the various crops through the year, all
the information that will show to the
farmers themselves what they are real.
ly accomplishing.
While this routine work Is In pro-
gress. the county agent is busy in 9TH
er ways applying what the department
calls first aid" teaching the latest
ideas in agriculture applicable every.
where. Improved varieties of crops
are brought In, the methods of com
mercial fertilization taught, the best
ways of spraying and packing fruit.
Besides this, farmers clubs are organ
ized, articles written for the local pa
pers OF an instructive and non.contro-
versial nature. and circulars distribut-
ed among the farmers.
; At regular intervals. the farmers are
brought together, the results of the
agent's Investigations reported and
solutions of the various problems dis.
cussed. 1t may be found that one farm.
er Is most successful In raising crop
particularly adapted to the soil OF that
county; that another Is using new
: method of tillage that Is giving nota-
BILE results; or that third Is failipg
to got merited results
These matters are all discussed. les
sons drawn by the farmers. and the
! way opened to better conditions
throughout the county. " Wlanayer, 9
par,lculsrl7 knotty prohles1 Is p;e-
sented to The agent. tc Il crnps eres
to call upca TIE Department y Wesl
a I4