Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-11-06
Mr.. Peterson S Letter
st. Paul, Ore, Nov

st. Paul, Ore, Nov. 4, 1915.
Editor Capital Journal:
1t is with some surprise and a deep
sense of personal loss that the writer
learned from the daily press that the
work of the county agriculturist for
Marion county had been discontinued
on October 6 for lack of funds, the
| county court having persistently re-
fused to make any direct oppropria
tion for this work.
We also observe with satisfaction
that the Salem Commercial club is
working arduously to maintain the
work. Every farmer in Marion coun-
ty should take Of his hat to the Sa-
lem Commercial club for it was this
body that secured a county agricul-
turist in September 1912, giving Mar
ion county the distinction of being the
first county in the west to employ
county agriculturist.
That fall the county agriculturist
was called in and the possibilities Of
growing corn in this valley were dis
cussed He urged the importance of
local grown seed and the next spring
was on the job with some of the best
he could find, Under his direction
and management a boys corn club
was organized and a corn show held
| that fall in October, at st. Paul,
Marion county. This was the first corn
show, if the writer is rightly informed
ever held west Of the Rockies. Sue.
ceeding corn shows and persistent eff
forts to secure better seed and better
methods of cultivation have afforded
a marked stimulus to the corn indus
try.
! There are at least 25 acres of corn
in Marion county this season where
there was one acre three years ago
and the quality and yield per acre have
also increased. AS further evidence
aud final proof that corn can be sue
cessfully grown in Marion county six
local corn shows are planned for diff
ferent parts Of the county this fall and
a county show is to be held at Salem
in December. As proof of the value
of this work take the ease of the writer
two acres Of corn in 1912 that did
not mature and with little value com
pared with 20 acres in 1915 that husk
ed 10 to 80 bushels of good marketable
corn per acre.
This is no exception as there are
Thousands of good mature corn in Mar.
ION county this season as direct result
Of the county agriculturist work.
Then how can any man doubt that il
pays? In this connection we wish to
quote at some length from speech
recently delivered by Senator Ralph
! Mctcalf before the Tacoma CONNER.
cial club and the county commissioners
Of Pierce county, Washington, on the
subject of employing county agricul.
turist
Senator Metcalf said in part: "Thc
country is the city's backbone. We
will all agree that tho prosperity of
our city, county and state depends
largely upon the development Of the
country Crossing the Atlantic we
find that every nation in Europe ex.
cept Russia produces two and three
times as much per acre on land that
had been cultivated for centuries be-.
fore Columbus set foot in America,
as we do on our virgin soil -
Senator Mctcalf referred to Den.
mark, which turned from grain and
beef TO butter, eggs and bacon in 1889
to 1890 and after feeding population
two and half times as great as the
state OF Washington. received every
year SlO0O00,000 Of British gold for
exports Of these latter commodities.
He also called attention to Germany 's
wonderful Advancement, supremacy
and independence as an agricultural
country, all Of which il credited TO the
work Of travelling teachers of agricul.
turc-county agrculturists. He states
that Germany has 800 of these, Italy
200 France 600 and some English coun.
ties spend $4,000 per year for agri.
cultural instruction. He also calls at.
tcntion to the United States govern.