Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1915-02-12

year that we have really been embar-
assed for funds to keep it going.
As you know, this demonstration
work was conducted by the United
Agricultural Board until July l, 1914
| when the General Assembly transferr-
ed the. work to this institution, and il
is now being done by this college
largely assisted by the United States
Government. The work has met with
phenomenal success in many of our
counties The counties that have tried
1t and then dropped out have been ex-
ceedingly few, while we have numbers
of counties that are now applying,
I and we are even now embarrassed for
money to go into these new counties.
We Will have more money after July
1st, and can probably arrange to go
into some new counties this spring.
If your Board of Supervisors will
write to some of the leading farmers
in Lee county, or in Frederick county,
! or in Shenandoah County, or in doz-
en- other counties, they can get some
valuable information as to the success
of the work. A new agent. has just
been placed in Giles; a new agent has
recently been put in Washington coun-
ty. 1t might be we'll to write to MIR.
j. A. Turner, Hollins, Va, a leading
county, and ask him what he thinks of
the work in that county, and whether.
he considers it worth while.
The basis on which this demonstra-
tion work is conducted is that the
United States Government gives one
fourth of the appropriation; this col
lege gives one-fourth, and the other
one-half is put up either by the Board
of Supervisors or by private subscrip-
ton, or both. In most counties this
latter half is provided by the Board of
Supervisors. 1t doesn't pay a county
to get one-horse demonstration
agent, as some of the counties seem to
wish to do. This is not a one-horse
day, anyway. 1t pays to get first
class agent, and pay him a sufficient
salary to justify him in devoting his
whole time to his work. We are advo-
eating getting just this kind of an
agent.
In addition to the county demonstra-
tion agents in the various counties,
we have specialists in field work who
give their entire time to their respcc-
tive lines. We have specialist in
live stock demonstration; another in
fruit demonstration; another in hog
cholera demonstration, and another in
at the beck and call of the counties
who wish their services, and the SER
vices of these specialists cost the
counties nothing at all, as the salary
and travelling expenses are entirely
provided by the United States Gov
ernment and this college.
Our work is growing so rapidly, ana
the counties are coming in so rapidly,
that L think less than half dozen
years will find us in practically every
county in the State. Halifax county
has two first-class demonstrators now.
1t is large county, and the people
were so well pleased with the work of
the demonstration agent they had,
that they demanded another and now
they have two. And, by the way, they
put up most of the money for them.
That shows what Halifax county
thinks of demonstration work.
Now, Mr.. Leslie, we have no desire
to, and no intention of, trying to force
ourselves into counties where the work
is not wanted. We find that there arc
still few counties in which the farm
ers think they know more about farm
ing than all the demonstration agents
that ever lived. They cannot be taught
anything because they think they al
leduy hnoW IL ali. am sure tnlS is
not the sentiment of TaZewell coun-
ty, and if the progressive farmers of
that county desire the services of
tirst-class man, or desire the servic-
es of our specialist in hog cholera,
fruit, or any other line of demonstra-
tion work, we shall be glad to coop
crate with the Board of Supervisors
and citizens of Tazewell County.
With best wishes / am
Yours very truly,
]. d. EGGLESTON,
Acting Director