The Farmington times., 1916-09-01
DON'T GO BACKWARD I

w. Fl. Smollinger, President of the
Farm Bureau of st. Francois County
sent out circular letter last week tc
the farmers of the county, to arouse
them to the Importance Of taking a
more active interest in maintaining
the bureau and retaining farm, ad.
wiser, warning them that without such
practical support they would have to
be given up. This, we think, would
he an unfortunate backward move
ment. st. Francois county has had a
farm adviser and bureau for nearly
two years, and while there is always
in every community class who op-
pose all Innovations of long-accustom-
ed methods, the most progressive and
successful of our farmers have taken
an active interest in the matter. That
these and others have been largely
benefited is freely acknowledged
That the Agricultural Department
of both the Federal and State govern
ments regard the County Farm Adj
wiser movement of great value to ag-
riculutral progress and efficiency, is
demonstrated by the fact that they
each pay one-third of the salary on
the condition that the County Court
pay the other third. This latter our
County Court has willingly done, so
that the salary of the adviser doesn't
cost the individual farmer a cent
There is another condition, however,
to assure the help thus given, and that
is that the farmers of the county
maintain bureau properly officered
to cooperate with the adviser. and
that the individual farmers contribute
a sufficient sum, about $3.50 annually,
to maintain an office, stenographer
and meet incidental expenses, This
sum has never been fully reached in
st. Francois county, only about $500
for nineteen months, though the bu
reau has managed to keep up the
work, but it now falls out that it has
a small debt on its hands. 3A
To retain an adviser-and st. Fran
co.'s county has most capable one in
the person of Bert L. France Pres
ident Smollinger estimates that a
bureau membership of 1876 farmers
paying an annual due of $500 each,
is necessary, but our farmers have
been slow to align themselves. Out
of 1900 or more farmers in the county.
many of whom have been largely ben
Gifted both in knowledge and purse,
we are told that so far only about
forty have entered into bureau mem
bership. Unless a sufficient number
pledge themselves the work will have
to be discontinued, and if this happens
it may be a long time before the coun,.
ty could secure another competent, ad--
wiser, for they are much in demand In
the best agricultural counties in this |
and other States. 4
1t would be impossible for us to
mention specific Individual instanc-
es where farmers have been bene-
fited through our farm adviser, for
they are not heralded abroad, but one
man whom we might name, who fol-
lowed the advice of Mr.. France in the
treatment of horse, remarked that
by the knowledge thus obtained he
had saved over 5000. The Hessian
fly campaign conducted in this county
at the instigation of the farm adviser
and the bureau, will be worth thou
sands of dollars to our farmers if theyl
cooperate in following out the in I
given and the knowledge
obtained of the breeding habits of the
Hessian pest There is hardly a
farmer in the county that would not
be benefited many times more than
he cost of maintaining this work.
Move forward-dont go backward.