The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-04-29
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION.
N. 5. Mcdowell, Of State College, Ex-
plains What Work Agents Of the
School Perform.

The following letter was writ
ten for publication in the NEWS
by M. S. Mcdowell, Director of
Agricultural Extension, State Col
lege, who is anxious that ali farm
ers should know the benefits to
be derived by the employment of
a representative of our Expert
ment station to live and work
among them.
Pennsylvania has fourteen ex-
tension representatives in the
field, and after July 1st, work
will be in progress in not less
than twenty counties.
This movement is an effort to
place in as many counties as pos
sible men with a thorough, prac-
tical, and fundamental knowledge
of agriculture to cooperate with
the farmers individually and
through their organizations to-
wards the solution Of farm prob
lens. It's purpose is to make the
best agricultural information of
; the day common and applied
knowledge. The representative
becomes the link which more
closely connects the farmer with
his Experiment Station. Their
activities are wide.
The men who serve in this ca
pacity do not pose as knowing all
about agriculture. They serve
rather as students and helpers.
They spend their time studying
the farming interests of their re-
spective counties both from the
standpoint Of production and of
distribution. They study the
plans, methods and practices and
aid in improving them when this
can be done. They bring from
farm to farm information as to
the best methods practiced by
farmers in the different localities
and the results obtained by the
Experiment Stations. They
study the marketing and trans
portation conditions and aid in
bettering them whenever they
can. They also conduct county
wide movements, such as cam
paigns for special purposes. The
up-building of the soil by the
proper application of manure and
fertilizers; the testing of seed
corn; the renovation of old or
chards; the proper use of spray
ing materials to destroy insects
and prevent plant disease; the
promotion of the livestock indus
try through the use of pure-b bred
sires; the increase of breeding
herds and community breeding;
the organization of exchange bu-
reaus for feeding stock and pure
seed; the planning of balanced
rations for farm animals, the
making of surveys of the crop
ping systems and business man.
agement of the farm; are some of
his activities.
The organization of breeding
associations; COW testing associa-
tions, and other producing asso-
Citations; the organizations of
boys and girls clubs and contest
work in corn, tomatoes, pure
bred livestock, etc., are other
lines of activity, some OF which
are undertaken by every agent.
In addition, these extension rep
resentatives may be active in
other ways, such as promoting
good roads, better rural schools,
more social life, and better con-
ditions in general. In all this
work the agent cooperates with
existing county agricultural or
ganizations.
Each man emphasizes some
special line of work and makes
that his leader. Its nature nee
essarily depends largely upon the
needs of the county. The work
also varies with the character
and personnel of the bureau
backing him. AS no individual
can be a specialist in all
lines of agriculture, each one
calls upon the specialists of the
College, when help is needed.
All the men are in close touch
with the College at all times and