The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-02-20

lies were asked to contribute
funds to aid in putting agricultu-
raj agents in their respective
fields, every dollar SO contribut-
ed to be matched by one from the
Better Farming association. In
some counties the board of COM
missioners.came forward with ap-
preparations. In others, busines:
mems organizations got together
the money. Before spring was
more than well under way, elev-
en- counties had provided for
their share of the financial bur-
den and others were making
ready.
That was the beginning. To-
day there are tyenty-six men and
one woman in the field.
The work of the men among
the farmers is no longer expert
mental. The agents have made
good. The farmers with whom
they have come in contact are
coming across" with modern
farming methods. They are be-
ginning to put into practice the
theories they had heard SO much
about but had not had the initia-
tive generally to attempt.
The one woman is getting re-
suits as well. Rest rooms for
country women are being estab-
hshed in towns. Women are be-
ing aided in re-arranging their
kitchens, and in otherwise max
ing their homes comfortable.
Such aid not being forced up7
on the farm women at all. They
are asking for it. and by SO doing
showing that they are alive to
the possibilities Of better country
life conditions.
Mr.. Cooper, at the beginning Of
the work, told any man he was
sending into the work that it was
up to him to get results while
you watt. Something has to
happen, he said. "We've got
to see the farmers in your terri
tory doing things-building 81
los, selecting seed corn, improv-
ing livestock, practicing crop ro-
tations, and to know that you
are influencing them in such
Matters
The system as worked out at
first, and still adhered to, is very
simple. In the first place the CO.
operation Of farmers was secured
in establishing series of demon
strations. The field demonstra-.
tions were by plans, fields and
farms. On the plants of from
20 to $50 acres rotations were
started, adapted to special local
conditions always. On fields OF
from a third OF an ac to sevc--
raj acres, newcrors, such as alf-
alta, sweet clover, OF marquis
wheat, were tried. On farms the
larger problems ct farm manage
ment were attacked. Other farm
ers co-operated in permitting on
their farm demonstrations with
livestock, consisting Of the com
pounding of rations, selection, ard
breeding. Coupled with all OF
this went advisory work with
individual farmers themselves
The problemsro of no two farms are
just alike. Principles have to
be adapted and the wider techni-
cal training Of the agents made
such adoption easy. :
The work began to tell from
the beginning. Change of senti-
ment began to be followed by
change Of practice. How large
ly the people have become in
tere sted is shown in the report Of
the work for 1913. Twenty-Five
per cent cf the farmers in the
territory covered by the agents
last year were carrying on some
form Of cooperative work. Mo
land under cooperation amount !
to 44,612 acres, and there were
thousands Of additional acres di-
rectly affected. The average
yields OH demonstration fields
ran higher than those Of lands
farmed by ordinary methods