American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-04-06


mending certain commodities. Then
there were a few farmers who wanted
me TO visit their farms every other
week. seemingly because they thought
it was very much in style TO have the
county agent visit them.
Then there was the type of Uncle
Josiah Perkins. who had a strange
or valuable deposit" of some mineral
on his farm which of course must be
investigated. l was usually able to
handle such cases unaided. but &C.
casionally sent specimens 10 state or
government specialists for analysis.
There were other farmers. who were
not content with the ordinary crops
recommended for their soil and climate
and who wanted to try growing all
sorts of crops not at all adapted to
their conditions. One fellow got up
in a public meeting and said that he
had always picked his seed corn out
of the crib in the spring and had al
ways got a good stand. All these
cases and numberless others had to
be handled tactfully, and each one a
little differently To have ~insulted
anyone would have been unwise, II
not disastrous; to let anyone go on
laboring under gross misconceptions
and ideas would have been
but proof of my incompetency. So it
developed that a considerable part of
my time was spent on the negative
side of the workout to good advan-
tage. / became a veritable burster of
bubbles and wrecker of air castles.
Two of the most important lines of
county agent work are school work in
agriculture and young peoples clubs
and contests. In order to carry on
either of these lines the hearty CO.
operation of the rural teachers is alb
solutely necessary. Realizing this
from the start l spent considerable
time at teachers meetings, discussing
with them ways and means of present
ing the subject to their pupils, and
%instructing them in the subject matter
itself. The state outlines were used
as a basis for the work, but they were
only general and did not always fit
local conditions.
The teachers had but little or no
training in agriculture and domestic
science. Some parents objected to
having their boys taught how to farm
and their girls how to cook; and in
many cases the children themselves
were not interested. 1t was necessary
at first to interest the teachers and to
show them in a definite way, by de-
monstration lessons, 10Y to interest
the children. l visited many schools,
where l usually gave short talks to the
pupils on the value of a vocational ed
ucation. Many meetings were held in
country schoolhouses where teachers
and parents Joined in the discussions
of common problems and where l fire.
q%uently gave illustrated talks on agri-
cultural subjects. The s~tereopticon is
very helpful and necessary to the
county agent.
In my opinion, much good is being
accomplished through the teaching Of
agriculture and domestic science in
the schools. Where the work is sin
CeTell dlltInDltu DOlh PAL u nhiu
pupils become interested and a closer
relation is effected between the school
and the home; the school takes its
proper place as the real social center.
About the most interesting line of
work in which | ever took part was the
conducting of boys and girls contests.
Through my work in the schools |
already knew personally all the teach
ers and many of the school children
as we'll. The county superintendent
of schools also took an active part in
all this school and club work and
gave his hearty support.
With the help of the superintendent
and the teachers ! organized a boys
corn club and a girls poultry club In
every township in the county in the
spring of 1914. Each boy grew an
acre of corn, kept a record of his
! work, expenses, and so on, and submit
ted an essay on corn growing with his
exhibit in the fall. Each girl receiv-
ed a setting of eggs of one of the pop
ular breeds of chickens. and exhibited
a pen of birds and submitted an es-
i say on Matching and rearing chicks.
\ / enrolled 260 members in these two
clubs, and since the first prize in each
= township consisted of one weeks
, course of free instruction at the state
: college of agriculture, besides a cash
/ for second and third prizes, there wal
developed a fine spirit of interest and
. enthusiasm, and the work demanded
y of the county agent grew proportions
. ately.
/ held district meetings, sent on
printed instructions. bulletins and cir
cular letters by mail and answered
II scores of inquiries. Many of the let
ters received were both interesting
Z and amusing to me, but every one wa
IL Writtan oarinne1v and raraiUad a COR