The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-12-10
THE COUNTY AGENTS
BRING SALVATION

Iho OmPiOJm OhI VI COuHly agents III
Utah, by reason of a demonstration
of their efficiency, says:
"The county agent is without doubt
the most important factor in the de-
velopment of the new agriculture
in Utah. Practical information on
farming discovered in the laborator-
les is valueless unless it reaches the
farmers, and the county agent is the
most valuable factor in disseminat-
ing this information. At the present
time Salt Lake county, with ten other
counties, is profiting greatly by hav-
ing its farmers instructed daily at
the hands of the farm expert. There
are nine of these agents busy in the
state, two of whom cover two
counties each. Mr.. Stewart covers
Carbon and Emery counties and Mr..
Harris Unita and Dusuesne. The
work has grown very rapidly since
its inauguration in 1911, and this
year received special impetus in the
swelled appropriation provided for in
the famous Smith-Lever bill.
The county agent, or his prototype,
had his beginning in this country
about Is years ago, in the southern
states, when 1t became necessary for
the cotton growers to organize to
protect their industry from the raw
ages of the cotton boil wevil. The
result of the movement was the dis
trictinG of The cotton area and the
hiring of an expert to supervise each
district. The work was Immediately
successful, because the farmers, with
this expert advice, were able to con-
troll the wevil to such an extent that
the cotton industry was saved from
what looked to be certain destruc-
ton.
A similar system was established
in Denmark about 1850, and as a
result that nation has risen from a
poverty-stricken to prosperous land.
In fact, Denmark is the agricultural
phenomenon of the time. She has
learned the secret of cooperation,
both in production and marketing,
and has educated her people mainly
through her farm experts.
County agent work began in Utah
in 1911, when L. NJ. Winsor, now ir-
rigation expert for the state, was sent
into Uinta basin as a farm expert.
Since then the work has gradually
and steadily grown until, at the pres
ent time, about half of the state in
area, and more than half in popula-
ton, is receiving expert advice con-
stantly from these men.
Being new movement, it is and
has been subject to much opposition,
most of which comes from the land
sharks either directly or indirect
ly. After vain attempts to get the
county agent to help sell their lands
some INSCRIPTIONS real estate men
nave launched campaigns against the
agent and have seized every oppor-
tunity to thwart his plans. One man
was almost driven from his county
by these land sharks
In addition to this hindrance,
county agent work has been subject
to severe criticism and discourage
ment that is always in store for a
new idea. Farmers are as a rule,
and very wisely, conservative, and the
practicability and usefulness of new
idea must be thoroughly demonstrat-
ed before they will accept it, In Salt
Lake county it fell to the lot of H.
]. Webb to prove to the farmers there
that the county agent was necessary
to their agricultural progress and
success. He was on trial for one
season. At the end. of that season
mass meeting of the Salt Lake
county farmers was held to get the
opinion of the people as to whether
the work was success or not. Mr..
Webb came to the meeting, ignorant
of the real purpose thereof, and not
knowing that he was to be on trial. |
He remained in the rear of, the hall
and listened-sh we say breath
lessly?-to the proceedings of the
meeting. Farmer after farmer arose
and expressed his approval of Mr..
Webb's work.
He saved my hogs BY showing me
how to check the cholera" He
showed me how to select my pota-
toes in order to get the best yield"
He told me to plant sweet clover in |
my swamp land. couldn't raise a |
disturbance on the land before, and
now I get a crop of hay. and about |
a hundred dollars worth of seed be-
sides"
These are samples of the express
sions. Needless to say the meeting |