Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-25
FARM DEMONSTRATION
DOWN IN OLD VIRGINIA
annual Report OF Officers and DEM
constructors Show Good Work
Done.
SOME FACTS AND FIGURES
demonstration Work Has Done Good
Ihfngs for Old Virginia, and Is
capable Of Doing Much Better
Things and on Larger Scale.

BURKEVTI.LE, VA, July .4.-Ths
"nnua! report Of the Farmers Co
operative Demonstration and Exten-
sion Work i'm Virginia has just been
issued by Thomas o. sandy, state
agent. 1t is n very interesting docu-
meht In its way. and will probably
interest everybody in the State who
loves the soil.
; OF something more than forty pages
81 closely written and more closely
printed pages
or course. the whole thing is some
. thiuS or boost for the folks at the
teal, hut il is 4 pretty fair represcn-
ta,iOn of some good work tina, has
been done, and after explaining lust
what the demonstration and extension
work is. with AN outline OF the history
OF the movement. the remainder OF
the forty-two pages making up the
pamphlet arc devoted to statistics
about the various crops in Virginia
boys corn clubs, the home economies
department. work among the women
and Information about cattle hogs.
Sleeps, tho dairyins industry and the
orchards of tho Stntc.
demonstration work In acrjc1,lture
the report says, "is simply one phase,
probably the most important phase, OF
extension work. u is n fact too often
overlooked that the large majority OF
! farmers and farmers sons do not at
majority OF them do not read bulletins
and circulars, do not attend institu-
tons and movable schools. that even
IL willing, do not know how to follow
instructions ut a distance; that II Is
an exceedingly difficult matter to nor
suade man that his way OF doing a
thing is wrong. and that even IL con-
vinced ne is usually helpless ~ change
without the personal present help OF
his instructor
"a .t...
facts that led "a few men To launch
in large way through the United
states Department of Agriculture the
plan known as co operative dcmonstra-
( ton work, and full credit Is given 10
DIR. Seaman \. Knapp for starting this
phase OF extension work. The latter
during many years of farming In
Louisiana had been the expert adviser
TO the farmers OF his community, and
hao shown them how, by simple
methods. they might get the ma imum
of production for a minimum OF time.
| energy and money. The report shows
in detail how Virginia hns protited by
this opportunity given DIR. Knapp to
make the entire South HIS community.
In January, 1914, the General AS
sembly. without a dissenting vote, dis
solved the United Agricultural Boar
and placed the cooperative demonEtra
ton work in charge Of the agricultu-
, raj college at Blacksburs. the change
in the organization effected by this
legislation, which makes the college
responsible for the demonstration
work. and the passage of the smith
Lever bill, which broadened the scope
Of the work and calls for Il co-joint
administration Of extension work by
! the college and the scientific workers
| OF the two institutions. and their field
agents. and has resulted ~ more ef
fectivc work on the part o. each.
took charge OF the demonstration
work. there has been steady growth
| of interest. over sixty county agents
are now employed for demonstration
work among the farmers, forty five
women are engaged in as many coun-
ties to conduct the garden and canning
work foy girls, and several special
agents are employed. There are spe-
cialists in poultry hog cholera. live
stock i'm fruit and in land drainage.
and these men are giving their entire
time To the state. working with and
through the county Demonstration
agents.
Federal government under the smith
Lever act, the sum OF $4,000, aud be-
sides this the government contributes
$4,000 for the same purpose. The
counties contribute between $4,000 and
$4,000. making about 100000 availa-
! bile for demonstration and extension
work in agriculture. During 1914 there
were i'm Virginia one state agent four
, district agents. nifty local agents and
+ five special agents, working hfty-two
/ counties.
! The local agents carried on l0,aS0
actual demonstrations with about 5000
farmers They visited 1889 farmers
! on their farms and held Interviews and
| consultations with $1,000 other farmers.
/ These agents held go meetings, thus
/ reaching 3t.3G2 people. They visited
973 schools, reaching Approximately
: 5000 more. The local agents travelled
35,aao miles by. rail and l59.i35 miles
by team, making total of l94.ss4
, miles