The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-12-22
COUNTY AGENT WORK
is SUMMARIZED
z. Fl. Loveland of Orange County Also
Presents the Results Of His Labors
During the Week Ending
Dec. IS.

Il. III. Loyeland, county agent fol
Orange county, furnishes the following
report for the week ending Dec. Is, 1915
Feeling that there are many in the
county who do not yet understand the
work of the county agent and its pur'
pose, the following quotations from q
government conference held at st. Louis
in November are given as explanatory OF
the best thought at the present time on
the county agent work
"The county agent is essentially an
organizer and administrator of all the
extension forces operating within the
county for the purpose of increasing the
efficiency and profitableness of farming.
''The best county agent work in the
North and West is being done in those
counties where there il countrywide
Organization of farmers behind the work,
with numerous subsidiary branches
throughout the county.
"The county should be well organized
and the work of the county agent clear
ly explained, and large body of farmers
in sympathy with the work before an
agent is placed in the county. The idea
is that farmers are not being shown;
they are associating together and teach
ing themselves aided by paid leadership.
"A countrywide organization is of lit
tie value unless the agent and farmers
use the organization.
Farmers learn as they do themselves;
not as they have things done for them.
The program of work of the county
agent therefore should be formulated in
conference with the farmers themselves.
"The county agent is the direct rep
resentative of the agricultural college
and the u. S. department OF agriculture,
as well as the representative of the coun-
ty organization. Through him or in CO.
operation with him, all state and gov
eminent extension work should be car
ried on within the county"
The county agent would like to work
with the farmers on this basis and in
which they feel ought to be carried on in
the county and criticism of the work |
which is being done at present. This
past year a county wide organization |
has been formed and now large part |
Of the work is being done through this
That the county agent is making good !
over the country is shown by the follow
ing figures:
"On July /, 1912, there were three
county agents in the whole North and |
West. A year later there were 40; on
July |, 1914, there were 230 and now
there are 1888. Out of this number start
ing work in 80 states, under all kinds of
organizations, with all kinds
IF supervision and in many cases no SUI
pervision, and all kinds Of conditions,
less than 5 per cent of counties started
nave failed to maintain the work.
At the meeting in Chelsea school dis
riot No. l. arranged by George Sumner
" Tunbridge Dec. 10, the county agent
poke on the economical purchase of com
nercial fertilizers under the peculiar con-
litions of this years trade. Eleven
armers were present and questions were
RELY asked. After the middle of Jan
lary a series OF such meetings are to be
leld over the county. ANY section de-
iring one viii confer favor on the
gent by making known their desire soon,
0 he can make out bis schedule.
This week and next the agent is busy
data gathered during the
ummer for the annual report, due Jan. 1.
While unable 10 make many farm calls
{ this time, he IL always ready TO an
wer letters Of inquiry.
Summary for the week;