Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-04-07
WHAT Is A FARM pxxoNsrRAroR,

| WHAT Is A FARM DEMoNsrRAroRf
! II one should attempt to put into one
| sentence what farm demonstration is, or
should be, it would be this: He 10 q man
OF practical farm experience with an agri-
cultural education, working under the
joint direction OF the farmers, the state
agricultural college and the United States
department OF agriculture, to assist in de-
termining the best agricultural practices
for the commonly in which he is located.
In the term agricultural practices would
be included the problems both OF produce
ton and distribution.
Perhaps clearer understanding Of what
farm demonstrator is may be obtained
| by first gaining an idea OF what he is not.
| In the first place, farm demonstration is
not an adviser. Some farmers seem to
think that q demonstrator is q person who
has a lot OF notions and theories about
farming that he is trying to have adopted
in the county in which he is employed.
II that were true, one should have no use
| for farm demonstration. No person. no
matter how much experience OF a success
full nature he may have accumulated in
| one section, or how much agricultural
| education he may have secured, is capable
OF going into community strange to him
and giving a very large amount OF advice
| to the resident farmers as to just how to
handle their respective farms. The farm
demonstration is distinctly not an adviser
in the sense in which We ordinarily use
that word.
Neither is the farm demonstrator an
expert. No man should be employed
in a county as an agricultural expert. No
man knows it all. Few men are capable
OF posing as experts in special lines OF
| agriculture, to say nothing OF being ex-
| perts in all lines. The farm demonstration
! should be able to secure expert advice
from specialists and authorities in differ
ent lines, and he should himself have
| good agricultural education to assist him
in diagnosing farm problems and to en-
able him to suggest solutions; but he
should never pose or be hired as an ''agri-
cultural expert.
| The farm demonstration, in Maine, at
least. is not an agent OF any trust or in
dustrial combination, any business inter-
est or interests, or any group OF middle
men local or otherwise. He is simply the
| agent OF the farmers themselves. True,
the demonstration works under the direc-
ton OF the agricultural college, the de-
partment OF agriculture, but these are
creations OF the people in the interest OF
agricultural advancement. In Hancock
county the work is financed at the present
time by the general education board, the
work and purposes OF which will be con-
sidered in q later article.
Contrary to popular belief, the farm
demonstration is not job hunter. No
man is employed in demonstration work
in this State, or any other state, so far as
is known, who did not have opportunities
Offering greater financial income.
| As a matter of fact, the requirements
for good county demonstration are such
that one OF the greatest difficulties en-
countered is that of securing suitable
men. Salaries offered to such men in all
other lines of agricultural work are as
I great or greater than the salaries offered
/ farm demonstrators. The salary is seldom
large enough to tempt a man who has had
| practical experience and agricultural edu-
cation, and who is working on a farm OF
his own. Neither is it large enough to
tempt experienced college teachers or ex-
pertinent station men.
! Showing farmers how to do the simple
operations of the farm is not a part
of the farm demonstrators work.
The demonstration is not hired to
show farmers how to milk, because the
majority of them already know how to do
that. However, the demonstration does
know how to milk = il he does not, he
should not be hired. Though his duty is
not to help with the milking, he should
be able to assist farmers who milk by
helping them to get unprejudiced in
formation about milking machines and
dairy equipment OF all kinds.
A farm demonstration is not hired
to harness horses; farmers can
get cheaper labor to do that. 1t is
possible, however, that the demon
strator may be able to offer valuable sug-
gestions about adjusting the hitch or the
/ collars to prevent or cure sore shoulders
or necks. Although not hired to pillow,
the demonstration should know how to set
pillow to give the lightest draft and do
the best work. He is not hired to devote
all his time to blowing for one farmer.
The demonstration must do things for the
whole community. He is not an intruder,
and it is not the purpose Of the farm