The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-04-22
WHAT is A COUNTY AGENT?

DR.. A. w. Hume, agronomist and
state leader, says of the county agent
work:
This is written to define, If possible
in a very few words, what should be
the relation Of a county agricultural
agent to his work.
The county agent is in large meas
ure a secretary of rural affairs. Very
largely he is the secretary of the
Farmers Commercial CLUB. 1t is his
function, not so much to direct, as to
promote the several phases of the up
lift of country life. He should dis
Germ what phases of rural activities
among many will be most proitably
engaged in by his community, as a
unit. When he has decided upon
these lines clearly in his own mind, he
should be able to propose them clear
ly to the community consciousness. He
must be a man who can propose such
evidently sensible lines of community
action that the people will collectively
agree with him and act upon his sug-
gestions.
Evidently, the county agent must be
a man of large attributes. Not a spec
ialist himself, he must nevertheless
have such training as will give him a
general knowledge of the findings of
agricultural research and he must
know enough to accurately interpret
the results of research for his people.
He must help them interpret the re-
suits of research for themselves.
In the present state of development,
the so-called county agent movement
is generalized rather than specialized.
He may, therefore, attempt SO many
things that it is difficult to enumerate
a list. One of the dangers is that he
will attempt too many things. In each
Of the several counties of any state,
the county agent is the representative
of the State College of Agriculture and
Experiment Station. AS such, he must
usually be a man of many parts, but
nevertheless within his WI field of
work. When he undertakes a subject
represented by any department of his
State College and Experiment Station,
while he works in that subject he is a
representative of that department Of
his state institution. Such an intimate
relation exists for the benefit of the
people of the state and the several
communities.
Representing, as he does, the var
ious departments Of his institution in
his state, he naturally undertakes
many things that fall within depart
mental headings. The following are
given solely as an Illustration:
As a member of the Animal Hus-
bandry Department, he may ~ en-
courage the organization of associa-
tons for the purchase of pure bred
sires; (2) induce as many poultry
keepers as possible to use trap nests;
(3) give instruction concerning vacci-
nation and other precautions against
hog cholera.
As a member of the Dairy Depart
ment. ~ induce people to hang up
milk sheets In dairy barns and make
separate weighings Of milk; (2) pre-
sent the importance Of much air and
light in relation to clean dairy pro-
ducts. /.
AS a member Of the Agronomy De-
partment. az encourage the use Of
seed cleaning machinery; (2) demon
strate the advantage Of pure seed var
ieties; (s) encourage the growing OF
legumes.
Az . member Of the Department OF
Horticulture. t1) urge people to plant
trees and shrubs: az suggest hardy
varieties Of plums and other fruit.
II y : fundamental principle that