The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-06-11
ARMY
ENLISTED IN FARM WORK

with data In connection with me
work Of grain Standardization. and
!, 200 crcameries and cheese factor
les report to the Bureau OF Animal
Industry. These. OF course. are only
a few instances out OF many. They
serve to show, however. the ways In
which the department keeps In touch
with practical business conditions
and is assisted by the same mon
whom II lis working TO assist.
In the second class OF cO%operRtOrs
are the Thousands Of farmers who.
under the supervision Of department
speciallBts are working out on their
own farias che methods recommended
by scientific agriculture: the boys and
girls Of the pig. poultry. corn and
canning clubs who are demonstrating
the neglected possibilities Of pTOlt
in these nclds: the women who have
adopted for their own benefit and as
a means Of instructing their neigh
bors. Improved methods in house
keeping; the sO.946 members Of the
farm bureau and county assOciR-
tons which support county agents In
the northern and western states:
nearly 10000 leaders in club work
for community welfare. and the state
orncials who aid In extension work.
In the distribution Of animal serums
anu vaccine and In other ways.
Demonstration Work
This demonstration work is OF tho
utmost Importance in the spread Of
sound agriculture. II Is almost I'm
possible TO name the many forms In
which ii is being carried on. but one
instance OF its effect In Alabama is
llumating. A few years ago Grim
son clover was an unknown crop In
that state. The department decided
after considerable study that II was
n Of the most suitable leRumes for
tho section and determined to intro
ducc Il. Ten farmers each In 10
counties agreed TO plant one acre as
an experiment. Two years later
tnere were 100000 acres IN crimson
clover in Alabama. The object lea
son had had its eject.
Another important demonstration
in progress at the present time is con-
cerned with cultural methods for
sugar bects. In this 1000 farmers
arc taking part. Another thousand
In the arid areas OF the great plains
arc planting trees to make shelter
belts as recommended by the depart
ment and are making their farms a
meeting place for their ncighbors.
In the cotton belt so farmers are
demonstrating the advantages OF su-
periOr varieties and improved cul-
tural methods and SO in South Caro-
lima and Alabama are showing how
to breed ~wiitresistant cotton and are
producing for sale seed OF varieties
developed by the department.
Conduct Experiments
The third way in which farmers
arc actively cooperating with the de-
Dartment Is in the conduct OF expert
ments. These are as varied as the
demonstrations. One man. for oH-
ample. reports regularly on his prog
ross in breeding ostrIChes while more
than 1000 are growing the plants
which the department introduces
from foreign countries. Sixty farm
ers are now furnishing the land and
labor for experiments in corn improo.
mcnt and 90 are aiding the tobacco
work OF the department in the same
way. Seed corn FURNISH. by the
department is being tested by 500
farmers who, 10 a certain extent. are
also demonstrating the varieties they
test.
without the assistance which II re-
ceived in these and similar ways the
department OF agriculture could not
do tn work IL does. The fact that
hundreds OF thousands OF practical
farmers and business men lind il
worth their while to devote time to
the dcnarrment's undertakings indi-
Gates that they believe them vital TO
their own affairs.