The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-10-14
THE COUNTY AGENT MOVEMENT.
Contributed by G. II. Afford. State
Agent, College Park, nd.

material prosperity is the awakening of
the people to the need of better farm
ing. More than half century ago a
few of the really great men of this ma
tion opened their eyes to the truth that
upon the product of the farm depends
the prosperity of the country and as a
result our Agricultural Colleges were
established.
The founders of Agricultural Colleges
did not realize the fact that all progress
in agriculture is founded on scientific
investigation and progress was indeed
slow until Experiment Stations were
established as well.
The establishment of Agricultural
Colleges attracted thousands of the
sons Of farmers by their gospel of
labor and the introduction of studies
helpful to the farmer. A large number
of the graduates of these colleges have
not returned to the farm, but many of
them are now engaged in work at Ex-
pertinent Stations, Agricultural Col
ing Agricultural Papers, and are taking
the lead in bringing about the necessary
changes. Many thousands of the un-
der graduates are also ION the farms
and captains of rural industry. This
being true, we know that the money
being spent by the Government and the
different states for the support of these
agricultural colleges is :. accomplishing
wonderful results.
The Experiment Stations have work
ed out and made available a world of
information. The government has ex-
pended many millions of dollars in de-
yeloping scientific knowledge relating to
agriculture. These Stations have gain
ed enough agricultural information if
it were applied to double our farm
yield and triple the farmers income.
During the past twenty-five years the
Experiment Stations have offered the
farmers the results of years of research
in published bulletins, but the great
mass of the farmers have remained
practically unchanged. The most pro-
gressive of our farmers have profited
by these bulletins, but the majority of
our farm population has seldom been
touched by modern methods. The men
in the field making the crop have gotten
very little real benefit from the Ex-
pertinent Station.
The leading agricultural thinkers of
the nation were forced to the conclu-
sion, from actual experience. that the
information obtained by Experiment
Stations could not be delivered to the
great majority of farmers in scienti-
fic bulletin, or even from the lecture
platform. However, there was wide
spread and insistent demand that some
thing be done for the man behind the
pillow handles All agricultural research
work has been conducted primarily for
him and he had right to expect and
demand that the results be delivered to
him in a form that he could utilize on
his own farm.
the accumulated information by written
messages, by lectures from agricultural
trains and from Farmers Institute plat
forms, but the large majority of the
farmers failed to accept and adopt it.
In fact, it was found to be impossible
to bridge the rs years gap that existed
between scientific agriculture as de-
veloped by the Experiment Station, and
the actual agriculture as practiced on
the farm by bulletins and lectures. The
large majority of farmers are natural
doubters and want to be shown.
The history of the world proves that
some man is always equal to the oc-
casion. In 1904, DR.. Seaman A. Knapp,
one of the worlds greatest thinkers and
leaders adopted the plan of employing
practical, scientific, money making
farmer of good Judgment to serve as
mediator or connecting link between
the Experiment Station and the farm
ers of country. From 1904 until 1906
such men as j. A. Evans, w. F.
Proctor, W. d. Bentley and E. Gentry
went into number of counties that
were traversed by railroads. These
men held meetings and conducted de-
monstrations on farms near the rail
road stations. In 1906 the first County
Agent appointed and worked in Texas.
This County Agent, and the Agents
appointed after him, cooperated with
the Experiment Stations, the Agricul-
tural Colleges. U. S. Department of
Agriculture, Farmers Clubs and other
Farmers Organizations to re-adiust
agriculture and rural life on higher
plane of profit by taking the accumulat-
ed information to the men behind the
plows and inducing them to put it into
practice.
AS the work grew in magnitude it
also broadened in scope. Its aim was
not, as many still seem to think, lust
simply to show farmers how to grow
better crops. Increased production
was sought only as a necessary means
of improving general rural conditions.