River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-03-09

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farming more profitable and farm life
In our county more attractive?"
That, very properly, is one of the
first questions which is asked when
any board of supervisors is asked to
employ man to work with, and for,
the farmers of their county.
The editors Of the GAINESVILLE Ga
zette, who are urging the employment
IF an agent in Rock county, have late
y answered this and several other
equally pointed questions which are
being asked about the work and value
Of county hired man."
These are some of the replies:
What is a. county agricultural rep
resentative, or county agent?"
The county agricultural representa-
tive is man who stands midway be-
tween the college of agriculture and
the man on the farm; that is, he rep
resents the work Of the college to the
farmer
WHY should the farmers be inter
ested in the work of the college Of ag-
ricuIture?"
Because it is maintained for the ben
eft of the agricultural interests of the
state, and because the farmers pay a
large portion Of the tax which supports
it. The farmer ought to see that he at
least gets his moneys worth out of
the college.
What has the college done for the
farmers"
The college is constantly conducting
experiments and investigations along
the line Of crops, fertilizers and soils.
1t conducts feeding, breeding and
housing experiments.
In horticulture it conducts expert
ments in fruit raising, in combating
insect pest and plant diseases. It con-
ducts valuable experiments in dairy
ing
The development Of the Babcock test
alone, which was work done in the col
1ege Of agriculture, has placed Wiscon-
sin in the foremost rank as a dairy
state and has more than paid all the
cost Of the college Of agriculture
These experiments are expensive
and if conducted by the individual
farmer would cost in most cases more
than the farmer could afford. Tried
out by the college and the results
given to the farmers all over the state,
the state and the individual receive
great benefit. 1t took W. D. Hoard a
number Of years to learn how to grow
alfalfa. He began his work in advance
of that done by the college. The av-
erage farmer could not afford to put
into it as much time or money as did
Mr.. Hoard. The college does this work
for them and gives them the informa-
ton.
why not get the information
through bulletins issued by the col
Iege? Why have a MANI"
The bulletins cannot circulate among
farmers as a live agent and conditions
vary in different parts of the state.
Printed information cannot take all
these things into account The repre-
sentative in the field can study condi-
tons and apply the principles to the
locality.
For example, Representative Swo-
boda in Langlade county found acid
soil there, interfering with the growth
Of alfalfa. The soil needed lime as
elsewhere when acid. Mr.. Swoboda
also found the farmers burning wood
and wood being burned in school
houses and public buildings every
where. This made the ashes plentiful
and within the reach of the farmers
for hauling. He conducted some ex-
periments on e. farm and found that
by the use of six double wagon loads of
ashes per acre he secured three cut
tings Of alfalfa averaging three and
one-half tons TO the acre.
The Langlade farmers were previ-
ously growing coed clover crops but
by using ashes, which were formerly
wasted, they are now growing alfalfa
which yields about a ton more per
acre than clover.
Has the agricultural representative
movement been tried long enough SO
that it is no longer an experiment it.
self"
The work was begun in Wisconsin
by installing Mr.. Luther in Oneida
county in February, 1912. Eau Claire
county came next, the representative,
Mr. ingalls,, beginning his work in
April.
How do farmers like the work in
these counties?'
Beginning in Oneida county, as q
center, the work at the request OF
farmers, has spread to all the adjoin
ing counties as well as to others. Farm
visits are only made when the repre-
sentatives are called by the farmers
Ia 1914 2,S16 visits were made to the