The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1914-01-16
FOR BETTER FARMING
COOPERATIVE DEMONSTRATION WORK
In MARYLAND BETWEEN COUNTIES
AND U. S. DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE.

LH1AhOOLAOAAhs
Two years ago this system OF prac-
tical education was introduced in the
five counties south of Baltimore. Last
year Baltimore County raised the
necessary fund and a County Agent
was installed in cooperation with the
U. >. Department OF Agriculture. The
Department now has fund which
will enable il to pay half the salary of
a local agent to work in any county
Of Maryland where the people raise
the other half. There is not enough
money for all the counties but il. will
be applied on the above basis in the
counties that first comply with the
conditions. In some counties the
necessary six or seven hundred dol
lars is raised by private subscription.
In Baltimore County the School Board
has a fund for agricultural education
part of which has been applied to
Demonstration Work. Most people
seem to 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
. pn5Dd5C VI Gil dCL. DuCu oil
Y act has been endorsed by the state
Grange and by leading citizens in
number OF counties. 80 far no OBJ
lection has been raised to the enabling
act as it simply empowers the County
\ Commissioners to appropriate not ex-
lceeding 100000 per county for DEM
onstration Work in cooperation with
the VI. :. Department of Agriculture.
In twelve counties Of the state petit
tions are being circulated by leading
citizens requesting their representa-
tives in the Legislature to endeavor
to pass an enabling act or if not pos
sible to secure an act for the whole
state, then to put through local
measure for each county. The peti-
tions are being very numerously
signed by the largest land holders and
capitalists of the respective Loun-
ties
The Department OF Agriculture
wishes to get it's funds to work as
soon a. possible and il willing to pay
the Agent for the first six months in
any county where responsible citi-
zens will raise a guarantee fund to
cover his salary for the last haIf OF
the year.
In Talbot county on December 20,
the fund was largely oVer-subscribed
in less than "a hours after the propo-
sition was presented in a public ad-
dress by DR. Augustus Stabler who is
in charge of the work in Maryland. In
that county an agent will be installed
at once.
DR.. Stabler explains the plan OF the
work as follows:
The objects sought are Better
Farming, Better Business, Better
Living
Better farming il first promoted
by showing the farmer on his. own
farm how to get better results with
the means at his command. It il i'm
possible to visit all the farms in any
county, but we try to select 30 to 80
men well distributed over the county
and SO situated that the agent may
reach them easily and that other peo-
pie 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
! example Of good farming. The agent
agrees to visit these Demonstrators
! once a month, and keep iii touch with
the progress OF the work. At these
visits, he pays particular attention to
Iu0 I'll InC uCLuUuSIl dI4OA
plant and makes certain that the
demonstrator understands fully just
what he ls expected to do next. Thus
we furnish not only advice but super
vision of the work till results are OBJ
tanned.
When a man succeeds in doing
something well, he can do it again,
and can and does tell his neighbors how
! to do it. Thus the Demonstration be-
comes center Of progress in his
vicinity. Around him will BE- other
farmers who desire to follow the same
directions, obtaining them through
the demonstration or directly from the
agent as the case may be. These are
known as co-operators- They do not
receive regular visits from the agent,
but he gives them all the assistance he
can, whenever he meets them.
lit has been found best to begin
thus with the adult men. When in
terest is aroused, it is always found
that there are certain boys who wish to
become demonstrators, and the boys in
our corn clubs, &C., are all enrolles as
Demonstrators who are setting an &
ample OF better farming and receive
visits from the agent who gives them
tue instruction on the farm about
growing the crop, harvesting it and
saving the seed, &c. In cooperation
with the schools, he aids in organizing
these boys into clubs. Before boy
can belong to CLUB, ne must be
demonstrator, i. q, must agree eo do
definite piece OF work according to
directions and report on it.
lin the girls Canning and Poultry
clubs, the same idea IL dominant. The
girls are Demonstrators, but the OBJ
ject il better living conditions and
they are instructed by women who Wis
it the homes of the girIs. These wo-
men are usually teachers who spend
part Of their time visiting and organ
izing the girls under the direction of
state organizer"
Dr. Stabler stands ready to visit the
leading people of the county or ad-
dress meetings of forward looking
men" whenever invited by some one
who is willing to help secure the
necessary local aid.
BOIlinger.
| Emanuel Bollinger, who had been