The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-04-05
AGRICULTURAL EXPERTS.

Tho county commissioners are being
urged to appropriate $1,000 for an OK
pert agriculturist who shall trnve
through the county teaching and dem
onstrating the best methods Of farm
ing. County Attorney Wiley has In
formed the commissioners that thi'
can be done legally.
The last legislature passed law te
promote similar work. In 1913 ths
state expended $4,000 through the
Agricultural college IN demonstrations
for the farmers Of southern and north
eastern Utah By the terms Of the bf]
which is known rs the farm and home
demonstration act, S25oo Is added each
year until the entire appropriation be-
comes $4,000.
This year the Agricultural college Ia
anxious to use an expert agriculturist
in populous Salt Lake county. AT the
suggestion of the Agricultural college,
the matter and appealed to the county
commissioners to aid this good work
Twelve hundred dollars will not be suf-
ficient to accomplish the end which the
Agricultural college has in Wow, and
the appropriation Of the county CON-
missioners will be duplicated by means
of the state law and national appro-
priation, which is almost sure to be-
como available on July l.
The Lever bill, which provides for
agricultural extension, has passed the
house and the senate of the United
States. At last reports 1t was sent to
conference with the idea Of increasing
the appropriation. The bill provides
that the government shall appropriate
for agricultural extension certain
amounts through the Agricultural col
lege of each state, but first the state
must pass law providing for the ap-
preparation Of an equal amount. Utah
is fortunate in this respect, because
the required law is already in exist
ence, and this state will be able to
make use Of the national appropriation
as soon as it becomes available on
July !.
The expert who carries the work Of
the Agricultural college to the farmer
in his home and field can accomplish
a vast amount of good. The farmers
arc rapidly losing their prejudice
against "book farming" They have
learned that scientific methods are
best. When they run against snag
they are not compelled TO give up in
despair if they are supplied with the
science of the books. 1t is this science
which the expert will carry TO the
farmers Of Salt Lake county. lie will
acquaint the individual farmers with
The most approved methods II the
farmer should find himself confronted
by problem be cannot solve he can
call on the expert. who will be able to
furnish the answer sought and will go
into the field himself and show how
his instructions may be applied With
the greatest success.
In these days, when all the world
realizes that the production Of the
farms must be increased, scientific
agriculture becomes one OF the most
important problems of the age. The
farm home must be made attractive.
life on the farm must not be all
drudgery, and the yield of The soil
must be increased If the "back .to-tbe
farm movement is to triumph. Apri
cultural extension work is alread1 do
ing much to bring about a coDsumma
tlon so devoutly to be desired. aud the
new system Of employing experts TO
deal directly with the individual farm.
or Is bound to give new impetus to
tne work and to go far toward solv-
ing the main problem.