The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-02-13
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decided to put the problem up to the
business men Of North Dakota, with a
promise of support In trying out no
aeld agent plan, If an effective organ
ization was formed.
The business men Of North Dakota
seized the opportunity. The result was
the North Dakota Better Farming as
ISOLATION, with an alert board OF direc-
tors who were familiar with the needs
Of the different parts Of the state. e..
J. Weiser. head Of the First National
bank of Fargo, vas made president.
A Embarrassing campaign in North Da-
kota and Minnesota followed and
yielded subscriptions amounting to
$4,000 a year for three years.
The Campaign Manager.
Then the problem was to find a cam
paign manager, or general. Dean A. f.
Woods Of the Minnesota College OF
Agriculture was appealed to. He had
the very mar needed in his own insti-
tuition. This was Thomas Cooper, in
charge Of the Minnesota schools farm
management and demonstration farm
work, a mar of high technical training
and experience, who knew how to use
men. Mr.. Cooper was invited to come
to North Dakota, and consented. His
only instructions were to take the
work to the men on the farms and not
wait for them to come and ask for 1t.
This was a job after Mr.. Cooper's
own heart. In his demonstration farm
work in Minnesota he had become con-
WINGED that the only way to get the
farmer on the farm to do things was
to go to him with the thing he needed,
make him recognize the need. and take
the remedy.
It was in November, 1911, that Mr..
Cooper was called to the North Dakota
work. In December he was on the new
field, and things were beginning to
Counties Fell Into Line.
The first thing to do was to estab-
lish cooperation with the people. The
county offered a basic unit. Conse-
quently. counties were asked to con-
tribute funds to aid in putting agrl-
cultural agents in their respective
be matched by one from the Better
farming association. In some coun-
ties the board Of commissioners came
forward with appropriations. In 9th
ers, business mems organizations got
together the money. Before spring was
counties had provided for their share
OF the financial burden and others
Ewere making ready.
That vas the beginning. Today there
are twenty-six men and one woman In
the field.
Field Agents Make Good.
The work of the men anon the
farmers is no longer experimental. The
agents nave made good. The farmers
with whom they have com in contact
T are coming across with modern
farming methods. They are beginning
to put into practice the theories they
had heard so much about but had no
had the initiative generally to attempt
, The one woman Is getting results al
well. Rest rooms for country womer
are being established in towns. Womer
are being aided in r~e-arranging theil
kitchens. and in otherwise making
their homes comfortable. Such aid Ii
not being forced upon the farm womer
\ at all. They are asking for 1t. and b.
;, SO doing showing that they are alive
to the possibilities Of better countr,
D life conditions.
8 MI. Cooper. at the beginning OF tn
work, told n man he was sending
! into the work that 1t was up to hin
g to get results--"while you wait
. Something has to happen" he said
"We've got to see the farmers in you
territory doing thi~ngs-building silos
selecting seed corn, improving live
iStoSHy III "Skh~AHS NASI &OA1SIoAlOB oLLN y
| know that you are influencing then
In such matters"
Question Of Craftsmanship.
after ALL" says Mr.. Cooper. II wa
merely putting a problem Of salesman
9 ship before the men; Just the sam
= kind of a proposition a salesman ha
to face when he goes into a store tt
:" sell dry goods or soap. The home OF
fee expects orders from such q man
t,,-a xxyA avnnpfnH nPanYu frrpa M M al,
and we got them"
The problem, however, was to ge
the right kind Of men to sell scientif
farming principles. But Mr. Coope
went after them. Wherever he coul
hear Of a technically trained man, o
got him. To-day" says MI. Cooper
"North Dakota has the best group o
field agents In the country"
e But ,hese men are not just turiet
= loose in a designated territory to hun
, out problems. hit or miss. They worl
according to a definite plan. Concen
tration and system are the watch
Worked by System.
The system as worked out at first
: and still adhered to, is very simple. I
the first place the cooperation Q
farmers was occurred ia establishing
series OF demonstrations. The iel
demonstrations by plats, field
a and farms. On the plats q. from Q
adapted to special local conditions al
ways. On fields OF from a third OF O.
acre to several acres. new crops, sue
as alfalfa. sweet clover. or maTaui
wheat, were tried. On farms the larg
er problems OF farm management wer
10 attacked. Other farmers cooperate
In permitting on their farm demon
n afpafious with livestock. consisting &