The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-27
4. man. stss. St st. M. STEINERT & SONS co.
WHAT THE COUNTY
AGENT MOVEMENT rs
And What the County Agent
Can Do for Our Farmers

The most promising undertaking
yet attempted In American aEricul-
turel is the county agent movement.
The county agent 10 an agricultural
expert employed by . particular coun-
ty in the state to give practical first
hand help to the farmers Of that sec
ton. At the present time some thir-
teen hundred agents are constantly at
work in over q thousand counties of
the country.
The county agent movement might
very properly be termed "denaobili-
cation OF agricultural experts" For
years there was q tendency to concen-
trats these men in the bureaus at
Washington. at the experiment sta
tons, and at the agricultural colleges,
a large part of the annual agricultural
appropriations being devoted to these
activities.
1t is true that at these places these
men were able to carry on scientific
work that could have been exceeding
ly helpful to the farmer; but, how
ever that may be, it is an unfortun-
ate fact that matters never worked out
that way. Millions of bulletins and
other pamphlets containing the re-
suits of this work were printed and
distributed among the farmers in
wholesale fashion, but all to little pur-
pose as regards their practical help
fulness. It is estimated that not
more than 10 per cent. of the farmers
of the country have been accustomed
to make use of such publications.
The county agent idea is changing
all of this. The experts are being
demobilized; that is, scattered to the
far ends Of our country, and the near
er places, too, of course. where they
are working in direct contact with the
farmers. The bureaus and expert
ment stations are still active, but
henceforth less stress will be laid up
on laboratory theory and experiments
ton as regards agriculture, and more
upon actual practice upon the farm.
This revolution in the methods of
educational work among the farmers
is the development mainly Of the past
decade, the past three years in par
ticular showing a heavy and steady
expansion in the number of county
agents employed. Three years ago
there were about nine hundred county
agents all told at work in the various
states. A year later the number had
grown to over eleven hundred.
These men live in the county, us
ually at the county sept. and their SER
vices are available to any person on
call. This resident relationship is
sure - make him cautious in his ad-
vice. If he makes a mistake, the err
ror stares him continually in the face,
He can't get away from 1t, These
county men do not pose as experts
made. If they have not had actual
capable of answering every inquiry
experience on the questions asked. they
are 30 situated in their relation to the
agricultural college and the federal
department of agriculture that they
| can get in, touch with some agency
which can give tho desired aid, If
suoh is possible. They are therefore
! resident Representatives in agriculture,
| located throughout the state, on the
ground where they can be of tho most
use to the man who most needs the
help, Many q farmer will ask a
question personally or over the tele-
phone who would not sit down and
| labefiously write out a letter, sending
it to the college at Madison, regarding
| some problem that bothsrs him,
The eounty agricultural agent can
se1p you step hog CHOLERA, test your