The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-04-09

sity indicated. Such men could draw
help from the college staff and could
, give help to 1t. They could call upon
the college men for lecture work in the
field and they could give to them exact
information as to the needs of their
respective districts. With such men in
the field preaching and demonstrating
in the growing of corn INT alfalfa, in
the feeding and care of dairy and beef
cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry, in the
building of silos, barns, and SO on,
along with the betterment of farm
home life, agriculture in South Dakota
could be given a tremendous impetus.
The same field men could render in
valuable assistance to the cause Of
better farming through the organiza-
tion of farmers, or n~eighborhood
clubs. Such clubs become outlying
agricultural college classes. They
bring to the college special local prob
lens, and take back to their localities
the practical solutions of such prob
lems-all by the way of the field
agents.
These men are not know-all persons
at all, it should be said. They are,
however, technically trained men, just
as the men in the colleges are. They
are field professors, and because of
their training and their close relation
ship with the colleges and experiment
stations in states where they are en-
ployed, as well as with the federal gov
ernment's department of agriculture,
they can be of the greatest aid to the
men on the farms.
Only the other day one Of the best
farmers in South Dakota told the writ
er that he regarded the field agent of
his county as worth at least 81 a day
to his farm alone. If he was Of equal
value to every other farmer in the
county-as he well might be, If the
farmers would let him-he would earn
his salary and expenses a hundred
times over in the course of a year.
Such a president of the college of
agriculture as has been indicated
would not only use such instruments,
but would correlate the work Of all
other agencies in the state interested
in better agriculture. BY so doing he
would save duplication of effort and
waste of energy.
For example, there are several better
farming organizations in the state.
These could be fitted into the scheme
or system of agricultural extension.
They could serve the college and be
served by it, to the mutual good of
both.
Again, the state has a bankers as
ISOLATION vitality interested in the gen.
eral prosperity of the state. The bank
ers of other states have done great
work for better farming. By so doing
they have built up their own resources,
making available for further develop
ment work funds that could not be
gotten at otherwise. South Dakota's
bankers stand ready to help forward
the movement. There can be no ques-
ton that they would support the work
of an able man at the head of the col.
lege of agriculture.
The right kind of a man, also, would
establish relations with the public
school forces, and through their aid
could do a great work.
Agriculture has been introduced into
only a few of the public schools of
South Dakota. 1t ought to be taught
in all rural schools at least, in some
degree. Minnesota has nearly $50
high schools which give thorough
courses in technical agriculture. The
agricultural men in these schools do
efficient work in classroom and labora-
tory and in the field as well, serving in
much the same capacity as the field
agents already mentioned. They en-
courage corn contests, aid in the Sc
lecting and testing of seeds, teach the
advantages of silos and of new crops
like alfalfa, and do scores of other
things. Wisconsin, If the writer is not
misinformed, has at least r~udimentary
instruction in agriculture in all rural
schools, and to this fact has been at
tributed Wisconsin's high standing in
grain-growing.
A strong man in the position named.
again, would draw to the support of
the better farming movement the rail-
roads. These are doing much to assist
already, through their generous use
of better farming trains. They would
do more, II the way were convincingly
pointed out. The more the farmer
prospers, the more traffic he creates,
and 1t Is the business Of the railroads
to carry trafic. That Is the simple ex-
PLANTATION of their interest in the move
ment.
The commercial clubs Of the state,
o1cn uov1d ho rooHv ou6 "a oor - ~