The Denver star., 1916-06-03

Un) institute on the growth OF the
government demonstration work in the
interest Of farmers, A. G. True, direc-
tor of the state relations service of the
agricultural department, in part said:
For more than fifty years congress
has been giving the department Of ag-
riculture money to find out things re-
lating to agriculture. For more than
twenty-five years congress has been
giving large sums of money to each Of
the states to maintain agricultural ex-
pertinent stations In order to find out
more things about agriculture and for
the Improvement of agriculture. Both
the department and the stations have
sent out their information In the past
very largely through publications.
These publications have also been tax
en up by the agricultural press of the
country and at meetings of farmers all
over the country, very commonly called
farmers institutes. but some time ago
1t was found out that these means for
spreading new information about agri
culture were not sufficient, that We
were not in this way reaching the
great mass of eur farmers and gettin:
them to practice the things which the
department and the experiment sta
tions had found out.
AT that time The department found
a man whose name is now n household
word throughout the south and in
many regions beyond the south-Dr
Seaman a. Knapp. He devised plan
for carrying information on agricul-
tural subjects directly to the farmers
through demonstrations on their OWL
farms. This plan proved to he SO sue
cessful that il has now spread through
all the country.
in connection with that wotk syS-
tenn has grown up of appointing and
establishing agents in the different
counties who are to carry on these
demonstrations and to do other work
to help the farmers. We have now
about 100 counties in the United
States which have these dcmonstri-
ton or county agricultural agents. At
first only men were employed. After
ward 1t was found very desirable To
work with the women and girls ais"
So we are appointing, rs fast as the
funds will permit women agents FOR
the counties, and that work has gone
on, especially in the southern states.
until now we have in the neighborhood
OF 400 women agents.
This work WIS carried on partly 10y
funds contributed by the general edu
cation board. Congress after awhile
concluded that 1t would lie best to put
all this work on public foundation
and so there was passed what is called
the Smith-Lcvcr agricultural extension
act. under which large sums OF money
are given to the agricultural colleges
in each OF the states to do demonstra
ton work and other kinds OF a.ricul-
tural improvement work
During the past ycar-l9l3-we have
been busy at Washington, and the
agents throughout the country have
been busy organizing this great system
Of agricultural extension work more
thoroughly, bringing it more closely
into touch with all our agricultural col
lcges and also with organizations OF
farmers of various kinds in the many
counties of the United States. 1t has
been my effort to deal with that work
in general way. and as 1t has pro
gressed have naturally become more
and more interested In 1t and have seen
more fully its bearings upon the agri-
culture of our country and the I'M
provement of the conditions of life in
our rural communities.
"No nation has ever undertaken II
work OF this kind on so vast scale.
1t is only In its beginnings now. 1t will
undoubtedly grow until we shall have
in every county of the United States
and we hope In many cases to have
more than two-aEcpts, men and wo-
men. who will work directly with the
farmers on their farms and In their
homes. This work Is an exchange for
all our people. 1t Is given out without
distinctions of sex or race throughout
the nation. We want NIL our people
and especially, OF course, our farming
people to be acquainted with this work
and to get the most out OF 1t that they
can.
"a large amount of useful and profit
able work has been done In virginia.
and rs far as work among the Negro
race Is concerned along these lines l
think perhaps Mt present Virginia Il
doing more than any other state. The
work will grow among the colored peo.
pie as well as among the other people
OF Virginia and OF the other states. u
IL very important that all who are CO.
gnged In agriculture. both the men and
women. should know something about
this work. get In touch with II and get
NIL the advantage they can out OF 1t,
because the foundation or this work. as
I understand It. Is TINT Il IL ii means OF
helping the farmer tn help himself
I'VE do not intend to organize md
cnrry on this work simply ns matter
Of giving ont something from Wash