Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-06-16
IS a COUNTY ADVISER WORTH
THE PRICE?
rCouncil Rluffs Nonpareil

COUNCIL BULLS -Nolpct
A great many farmers are skeptfu!
concerning the value OF ar agricul-
,urel adviser. This Is due 20 the fact
that it is just little difficult to get
the services of man Of this character
in such form that they can be meas
ured. Dollars. yard sticks and scales
can not be used IN weighing work of
this kind
Over in Montgomery County where
Rex Davidson has been On the JOB as
Agricultural adviser since December.
1912 there is still some division OF
opinion. The people who supported the
movement which resulted in securing
an adviser in that country are. as a
rule. more firmly convinced than ever
Of the wisdom OF their course. But
not all the Indifferent ones have as
yet been converted
Davidson Is young man. 1t Is
doubtless Just a little difficult for some
OF the elder farmers in thet county 20
accep; the notion that ooyish look
ing fellow can tell them ANYTHING about
forming But Davidson is there with
the Foods He Is pra ctical farmer.
was an excellent student in college
and has developed splendid poise and
balance He knows that time is re-
CURED to improve soils and Get people
10 doing things IN new ways Is well
as TO grow crops. He is working,
therefore. with patience and diligence
and has things moving forward in
very gratifying manner.
Since Davidson began work in the
county. the acreage of alfalfa has been
Increased from about six to twenty
FIVE hundred acres. He las visited
and assisted great many farmers In
diagnosing hog cholera and other
anlictions which come upon stock and
crops He has shown hundreds OF
farmers how 10 inocuiate their soil
preparatory 70 sowing alfalfa. He mas
started dozens OF boys IN acre corn
growing contests. He Is conducting
dozens OF experiments with farmers in
| the county looking TO an increase IN
| soil fertility and more productive crops
| He has called on and consulted with
! hundreds Of farmers in the county con-
! corning their work. Hundreds nave
called OH him a his Office N the court
J house He is directing the keeping OF
/ milk records on many farms. He has
| found Eessian fly pests and advised
! how TO handle them. He has addressed
| something like hundred public meet
I incs on farm topics. He has organized
/ ,weive farmers associations. In thi:
! way he has reached more than sever
| thousand people. He has writer
| dozens OF articles for the rapers in hi'
| county and sent out hundreds of ley
tiers Of information pertinent TO thu
needs o. the people and the season
Something like three hundred farmer
are cooperating with Mr.. Davidson IL
experiments in deep plo~ing. fertil
fzing. pruning, spraying and in othe
lines.
/ To the minds Of many Montgomer!
county farmers the employment o
Davidson Is wise-indeed almost indis
pensible. They look upon The propose
as bei,is of as much Importance as TIT
fertilization of their land. These me,
believe that the money paid out t
keep man of this kind at work in th'
country brings better returns thar
could possibly be secured in any othe
manner with similar sum. 1t is ed
uca tional work of the most practica
| kind. And just as it is wise to hav'
teacher directing the work OF stu
dents in school room. 80 IT is looke'
upon as wise to have a trained agricui
tural adviser directing or assisting tn
farmers in the county. Most farmer
admit that life is school end farrninl
a department Of this WORK in which
there is very much yet TO be learned
To these Davidson is a most welcom
visitor any time he can find 1t possiol
to call.