The citizen., 1914-01-09
Farmers COOPERATIVE Demon
stration Work in Maryland.

Two years ago this system of practical !
education was introduced in the five |
counties south OF Baltimoye. Last year
Baltimore County raised the necessary |
fund and a County Agent was installed in
cooperation with the U. S. Department
of Agriculture. The Department now
has a fund which will enable it to pay
half the salary of oca agent to work in
any county of Marya and where the peo-
pie raise the other half. There is not
enough money for all the counties, but
it will be applied on the above basis in
the counties that flrst comply with the
conditions. In some counties the neceS-
sary six or seven hundred dollars is raised
by private subscription. In Baltimore
! County the School Board has fund for
agricultural education, part Of which has
| been applied to Demonstration Work.
/ Most people seem 10 think that it would
be best and most equitable to have the
| County Commissioners appropriate the
money, but there is question as to
whether they have the authority without
the passage OF an enabling act. as 1t SIM
plv empowers the County Commissioners
| to appropriate not exceeding $1,000 per
county for Demonstration Work in COOP
Grafton with the U. S. Department of Ag-
riculture. In twelve counties of the State
petitions are being circulated by leading
citizens requesting their representatives
in the Legislature to endeavor to pass an
enabling act or # not possible to secure
an act for the whole State, then TO put
through local measure for each county.
The petitions are being very numerously
signed by the largest land holders and
capitalists of tie respective counties.
The Department of Agriculture wishes
to get its funds to work as soon as posi-
bic and is willing to pay the Agent for
the first six months in any county where
responsible citizens will raise a guarantee
fund to cover his salary for the last half
of the year.
In Talbot County on December 2otf,,
the guarantee fund was largely over-Sub-
scribed in less than "a hours after the
proposition was presented in public adj
dress bv Dr. Ausustus Staber, who is in
charge of the work in MARYLAND. In that
county an agent VII be installed at once.
DR.. Stabler explains the plan Of The
work as follows:
"The objects sought are Better Farm
ing, Better Business, Better Living.
Better farming is best promoted by
showing the farmer on his own farm how
to get better results with the means at his
command II is impossible to visit all
the farms in any county. but we try to
see e.t 80 to 80 men well distributed over
the county and so situated that the agent
may reach them easily and that other
people may see the crops. These men
are called Demonstrators. Each one
agrees to grow definite area in some
staple crop in The best manner as an ex-
ample of good farming. The agent
agrees to visit these Demonstrations once
month, and keep in touch with the
progress of the work At these visits,
he pays particular attention to the con-
dition of the demonstration plat and
makes certain that the demonStrator un-
derStands fully Just what he is expected
to do next. Thus we furnish not only
advice, but supervision of the work till
resultS.are Obtained.
when a man succeeds in doing some
thing we'll he can do it again, and can
and does tell his neighbors how to do it.
Thus the Demonstration becomes a cen
ter of progress in his vicinity. Around
HIM will be other farmers who desire to
follow the same directions, obtaining
them through the demonstrator or direct
ly from the agent, as the case may be.
These are known as co.oferators. They
} do not receive regular visits from the
agent, but he gives them all the assist
/ anCe, that he can when he meets them
: 1T has been found best to begin thus
{ with the adult men. When interest is
aroused. it is always found that there are
, certain boys Who wish to become demon.
= strators. and The boys in our Corn Clubs,
. &c. are all enrolled as demonstrators
who are setting an example of better
farming and receive visits from the
agent, who gives them the instruction on
the farm about growing the crop. har-
. . vesting it, and saving the seed, &c. In
cooperation with the schools, he aids in
organizing these boys into clubs Before
! a boy can belong to club, he must be
{ demonsraJor. j. e.. must agree to do a
definite piece of work according to di
: rectons and report on it.
In the girls Canning and Poultry
Clubs, the SAME idea is dominant The
: glrls are demonstrators, but the object is
better living conditions, and they are in
structed by women who visit the homes
of the girls. These women are usually
, teachers who spend 1art of their time Wis
ting and organizing the girls under the
direction OF a State Organizer"
, Dr. Stabler stands ready to visit the
y leading people of a county or address
! meetings Of forward looking men,
j whenever invited by some one who is
willing to help secure the necessary local
i aid.