The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-02-20
COUNTY
Agents Add To The Profits
Of The Farmer
An Increased Interest In
Corn Crop Alone
Minnesota Said To Have
Justified Their Employment

Minneapolis, Mimi, Feb. 1S-The
question sometimes is asked by the
uninitiated: What do the county agri-
cultual agents do? This question is
best answered by telling some of the
things they have done, says the Jour
nal.
1t should be remembered, however,
that the county agent-in Minnesota,
at least--is comparatively new. The
first such agent in Minnesota entered
upon his work Sept. i, 1912. 1t is too
early, therefore, to say what will be
the influence of such men on the agri-
culture of the state as time goes on.
Nevertheless, good guess may be
made form the record already achieved
in meeting the urgent problems of the
year and little more that have gone.
Perhaps in nothing so much as in
the quantity and quality of corn grown
has the county agents work shown its
influence. Years ago farmers coming
to Minnesota from states farther south
would send back to their old homes for
seed corn. plant it, reap harvest of
disappointment and give up corn
growing in Minnesota as thing that
Providence had not provided for. But
there We're men who did not take this
view of the matter. One of these was
n ID Dt.n &c hd or,intn nnl.
lege and experiment station. Profes-
sor Bull, by the careful selection Of
early maturing seed, managed to grow
corn in latitudes where corn was con-
sidered hopeless. This pointed the
way. Corn to be grown in any section
of Minnesota must be from seed show
ing hardness and early-maturing quail
tiles. Consequently, when agents
went into the various counties they
encouraged the selection of seed
adapted to the latitude and climatic
conditions.
A. B. Lathrop, county agent of Big
Stone county, who took up his work
Oct. Is, 1912, found that many farmers
in his parish had suffered disappoint.
ment through the use of imported seed
corn, in spite Of the fact that other
farmers had done well with the same
crop. He therefore set about making
up ounty seed-corn list. This gave
the names and addresses of farmers
who with or without assistance from
the experiment station had developed
seed corn that would ripen and yield
| freely in the comparatively short sum
mers of western Minnesota. Farmers
who wished to grow corn, instead OF
| importing their seed, obtained supplies
from the men on this list, and the re
suit was successful corn-growing by
many who had failed before.
In Swift county, which is Alfred
| Carlsteds agricultural parish, some
what different plan was adopted. Mr.
Carlsted obtained the cooperation OF
five progressive young farmers in diff
ferent parts of the county, provided
| tnGm WIJu edT-lSSISus Weil-pltu etAN
selected seed corn, and set them Il
growing seed corn in breeding plots
On the FIVE plots of these farmers al
average yield of SO bushels to the acre
was obtained, and the highest yielt
was about 100 bushels. These sue
cesses attracted the attention of the
farmers of the entire county. AS {
result the farmers took an interest IL
| seed-corn selection. Whereas before i
was possible to find in the course of ;
days drive through the country per
haps two or three farmers who made
a practise of selecting their seed corr
early-before frosts came-last fall ol
similar drive one could not find more
than two or three farmers who had no
so selected their seed corn. The out
come will be seen next year in corn o
greater quantity and better quality
other conditions being equal.
---.fs--
Mr. and Mrs, William McGreevy o