The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-03-18
EXTENSION MEN
MEET AT COLLEGE
TEN SOUTH DAKOTA COUNTIES
WERE REPRESENTED AT THE
TUESDAY MEETING
GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE PRESENT
W.. A. Lloyd of the Department of Aari.
riculture Explains Workings Of
the Smith-lever Measure

About twenty-five county agents, ex-
tension men and county representa-
tves from ten South Dakota counties
met at the State College on Tuesday
at the call of President Perisho, to con-
fer with w. A. Lloyd of the United
States Department of Agriculture, to
get definite information concerning the
county agent proposition.
According to MI. Lloyd the Smith
Lever Law was intended to provide
for strictly demonstration work. He
complimented the bill drawn UP by
the recent South Dakota legislature,
stating that 1t Is second to none in its
spirit and intent. The South Dakota
bill is especially good because it makes
a county organization necessary before
the agent gets onto the job. The agent
has no business as an organizer, or as
a fund solicitor. This work must be
handled by the county farm bureau.
The point was emphasized that this
movement in each county must origin.
ate and be boosted by the farmers or
CARNATIONS themselves.
In brief, the work of the county
agent as outlined by Mr.. Lloyd is: (1)
To survey the needs of the county and
its problems; to carry to the farmers
the good ideas found in n particular
one; and in every way work to i'm
prove soils, crops, and animals.
(2) To make a careful economic sur
vey, and after deciding what is the
best system for farming, and the best
crops for each community to establish
a community type of farming. II all
the farmers in the community are do
ing the same general kind of farming,
that is the best type of farming, for
that community the county will be-
come widely noted for its especial abil-
ity to produce certain crops or pro-
ducts.
(3) To strive to eliminate the waste
in marketing farm produce.
(4) To make farm life as attractive
as the life of town or city. A commun-
ity of interests in the county will be
followed by modern improvements and
comforts not excelled in the town. The
natural result will be to keep the best
blood in the country. This will result
in a permanency Of the better type of
farm life.
The county agent has a lifetime job,
and to be most effective he must stay
on the job ten to twenty or more years.
His efficiency will increase every year.
President Perisho then gave an out
line of the relation between the district
and county agent and the State College
and asserted that they are really men,
bers of the State College faculty. He
gave his assurance that the college
will always be ready to help with the
work in the field wherever practical,
and that the college will be agrees
sive in carrying out the intent Of the
extension movement for the benefit of
the state.
Mr.. Lloyd went from Brookings to
Butte county to assist in organizing to-
ward the employment Of a county
agent. Thence, he will go to Mitchell
on March 20 where he will assist Prof.
w. A. Ostrander in a special meeting
of Dawson. Hanson, Sanborn, Douglas,
Aurora and Hutchinson counties.
Representatives were present at
Tuesdays meeting from the following
counties: Brown, Butte, Dawson,
Clark, Minnehaha, Douglass, Day, Ly-
man, Sanborn and Hanson. All of
these counties contemplate the early
organization for securing a county
agent.