Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-11-11
DEMONSTRATOR. PERKINS LEAVES
FOR NEW JOB IN BURKE COUNTY.
In His Farewell Message to Hender-
son County He Advises Cooper
alton and Farm Progress.

County Farm Demonstrator z. l..
! Perkins left Tuesday for Morganton
to, assume duties as demonstrator for
Burke COZ nty after q service of two
years in Henderson county.
| The county commissioners refused
to help, further defray expenses Of
demonstration work in this county
and as a result the work had to be
discontinued.
Politics is understood to be the
cause. 1t became whispered around
a year ago that Mr.. Perkins was a
! democrat and the jig was all up. It
was too much for republicans to sWal-
low to think that democrat should be
on the county's payroll.
The county commissioners helped
the work the first year but refused the
second year. The salary was made up
by the farmers union, board of edu-
cation and private subscription.
Mr.. Perkins returns to his home
section and will be within twelve
miles of his native home During his
stay in Henderson county Mr.. Perkins
did what has been declared by fair
minded people to be a splendid work
that brought many good returns, He
has made many friends who regret his
departure and his farewell message,
which follows. shows that he still has
the interests of the farmers of the
county close at heart:
"To Whom This May CONCERN:
81 hope to say nothing that might
be. offensive to any one. | only feel
it my duty to write to my friends in
county end onu Ofhnrc that
may be interested in the growth and
prosperity of their county, and those.
who could have met me not to their
sorrow Many have accepted me as.
an agricultural teacher in their midst.
Many have stood off at arms length
for some reason. Perhaps unwilling
to acknowledge their limited knows
eoge for farming. Some have de-
nounced demonstration work for Iack
of knowing what it really is. Some
have resented the work in order that
they might show the people that they
are exceptional farmers and need no
help. Oh! would that the world was
made up of the latter, but to my sor-
row it is not. u
"Say friends, did you ever york
hard a. great long time for some hodt
and when you got through your %
they would not thank you for II 4
There are great number of people
who know me; have seen sme walk the
streets of your town have seen me
stopping and talking 10 the agricul-
tural people many timesl You may
have wondered what 4 meant; what
kind OF agent am and many other
things. Now Il Ii fof that and other
reasons that I write you this. It Is
that I want one and all to. know why /
came what have done while, here,
and why am SENT away. Fl is
not that. wish to express anything
about the officials; ana the county of
feials of this great county Of ours. |.
had rather see them any other way
because believe they are honorable
men, Is it courage our people needY
Isssft knowledge we need? Is 1t pow
ef we need? knowledge engendereth
power. Could man elrun q cotton
mill who does not know. it SINNER work
ings. Can a man farm without
knowledge of agriculture? Farmers
and others tell me that peach trees
will not live here worth while any
longer. Tell me: How many farm
ers in North Carolina can tell you the
life history of the peach tree borer"
Without knowledge of the life his
tory of the borer, who knows how best
to fight him? How many farmers of
Henderson county know the Stork's
Delicious apple?. How many know
Etaymon's Winsap? How many know
the Rome beauty? And still we are
planting thousands of fruit trees every
year. Did you ever think Of man
who needs, more knowledge than any
other man to run his business sue
ceesfully, and his daily vocation were
such that he is kept away from books
in day time and make him SO tired
that when night comes he is too fa-
tigued to read? Who is he? Oh, he
is the man that produces the food for
our multitudinous family of humanity
as well as the millions of head of live
stock. Where is the lawyers guide?
It lies open day and night before his
eyes. We need to be led by a safe
guide. OF all the men on earth that
need a standard maker, the farmer is
the one. Seventy-fve per cent of the
farmers of North Carolina fai Ito de-
eide what crops they will plant on Ger
tain parts of their farms each yea:
be planted. Failure, dissatisfaction,
-
follow. This failure of decision may
me credited to several things. Lack
of knowledge as to proper time clt-
matte conditions, financial conditions,
and many others. Any of them requir-
ing knowledge and action.
'.Does it sound large when make
the statement that the acreage OF J
grass and clovers in Henderson coan-
ty has been increased from. 500 acres
Steptember 1913 to 1000 acres Sep
;tember 1915. 1t is actnallEso.l I chal.
lenge any number of men to make the
census of Henderson, county and prove
to the world what has been done in
two years According to the very
lowest figures, through this source
alone; there has been added to the 1
wealth directly and indirectly, in plant
and animal food, $500, 900. Now lis
-4oy, 4ba farm noT-i ir ono nf fho GREATEST