The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-10-16
KANKAKEE MAKES GAIN IN 2
YEARS UNDER FARM DIRECTOR
Illinois Takes Lead In Movement
Money For Support Of Director Ap-
preparation From Board Of supervis
ors by Yearly Piedges-Danser In
Too Much Advice and Duplication
(By Henry NJ. Hyde.l

(By Henry NJ Hyde.)
To add-in two years-$1O to the
value of every acre of farm land in
county containing more than half a
million acres.
That is the achievement with which
the commercial and agricultural clup
of Kankakee county is credited. 1t
was the first county club in Illinois to
organize and employ a regular farm
director. Its work began only two
years ago last spring, and from the
first its farm director has been John S.
Collier, who was formerly a professor
in the state agricultural college at Ur-
bana. Mr.. Collier is paid $500 year
and devotes all his time to the Job.
Since he began work more than 25O
'silos for the winter storage of green
fodder have been built in the county
and two drainage projects, costing over
100000 and adding about 5000 acres
to the fertile lands of the county, have
! Deen pushed to completion
Raised $4,000 Per Year.
De Kalb county, of which Sycamore
is the county seat has set an example
in self-reliance which is inspiring. Re-
fusing financial assistance of any kind,
its county club has raised 100000 a
year for four years and has employed
w. G. Eckhardt, also former profes.
sor in the state agricultural college, as
director. Director Eckhardt, who is
paid $4,000 year, is supplied with a
hne suite OF offices and with competent
assistants and is devoting most of his
energy at present to the improvement
Of soil fertility in the county by the
use of lime, alfalfa and other legumes
and artificial fertilizers.
The money for the support of the di
rector and all the activities of the club
is raised by direct appropriation OF
$4,000 by the county commissioners
Any county in the state has legal au
thority to do the same thing-and by
yearly pledges.
These pledges are paid by banks
manufacturers, farmers, railroads, and
business men, all of whom see that
their own selfish interests are tied uu
in the prosperity of the farmer
Altogether, there are now 315 coun.
ties In the United States which have
organized and employed farm direc.
tors.
Back Of this movement are so many
great and powerful interests and organ.
izations that the danger seems to be
rather that the farmers of the country
will be fairly swamped with advice and
driven frantic with offers of assist
ance.
Various Agents at Work.
There are the agricultural depart
ment at Washington, the state agricul
tural college at Urbana, with its exten
sion work and travelling community
adviser; the crop Improvement com
mittee Of the national council OF grair
exchanges, with regular offices and 9
monthly publication, "The County
Agent; the state bankers association
with it's farm committee and paper
"The Banker-Farmer," to say nothing
of farm propaganda Of various kinds
carried on by the railroads, the stocl
yards interests, and dozen or more
great corporations selling goods chief
ly to farmers.
And when the idea of establishin.
county clubs and farm directors wa
first proposed big Chicago firm offer
ed to devote $1,O0O,OOO to the work
So far only $4,000 of this money ha
been disturbed, $1,000 going to eacl
county.
State Aid From Congress.
Under the provisions of the Leve
bill, which passed congress recent,
there is this year, there is this yea
$4,000 available for the country ager
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