The Glenwood post., 1916-12-23
STATE GOVERNMENT
and The Farmer
Continued from first page)

H"u d ldi Se HuHiDeI OI govern
ment demonstration farms, but their eff
rect was small. 1t was decided to or
game the work on new basis. TIL.
plan was diversification of crops, cot
ton, corn, alfalfa, live stock and poul-
try, home gardens, deep plowing, use of
manure and fertilizers, and good seed,
and the usual financial assistance from.
the bankers and merchants. The gov
ernment was to appoint enough men to
carry the plan in person to every com
munity in the weevil infected section.
winch at that time was about lO2 coun-
ties in the richest part of Texas. DR.
). A. Knapp of Louisiana was called
to Washington and invited to take
charge of the new work. He accepted
and his wide acquaintance and good
judgment of men enabled him to select
and organize a force of over 400 men
and put them into every community.
| The simple plan was presented and as
surances given that the government
agent would be near at hand whenever
needed. 1t was hard at first to create
confidence and get started, but DR..
Knapp S strong personality and wide
acquaintance with the Texas people
and the backing of the government
carried the day and over $4,000 agreed
to follow the plan the first year. The
success of the work was phenomenal.
The farmers found that their soil
would produce corn and alfalfa and
that there was good profit in feeding 1t
to hogs and poultry. They were shown
how, by cultural methods and use Of
quick maturing varieties of cotton, to
get ahead of the weevil They found
that they could raise in their garden
almost everything they needed to ed.
and that it was lots better than canned
goods
They came out at the end of the year
with good net profit. Before, they
had been satisfied if they could pay
what they had borrowed each year, 20
maxi their crops, and feed their faml-
lies. The government had told them
what to do, but had given them moth
ing tut the plan, advice, and encour-
agement. What they accomplished they
did on their own farms, under their
own conditions. They could do it again,
and their neighbors could do it. Thous-
ands of new recruits took up the work.
1t spread to the whole cotton belt.
States, communities, individuals, and
societies appropriated money in adli-
tion to what the government supplied,
to increase the number of advisers. 1t
started and is guiding what promised
to be an agricultural revolution in the
south
The principles that underlie this new
method are old ones in education. The
good teacher no longer conducts the
demonstration, but has the pupils do 1t
for themselves under proper direction.
1t is the modern laboratory method.
Interest is centered in the work itself
9Hd success is sufficient reward.
Human nature is much the same in
the north as it is in the south. The
passes of farmers are not much I'M
PRESSED by what the state or some
Nralthy corporation can do ON small
tract of land, or even on a large tract.
Ghey are impressed by what they do
! : It..n al ,,.bn, ba
farmers are and build from that point,
proving step by step as conditions
warrant and staying with them as long
as you can be of service. Minnesota
farming is far in advance of many
other sections. Larger and more dit-
ficult problems are involved. They re-
qHre careful cooperative study. The
college of agriculture, the experimen.
station, the national department of ag-
rlcultur, the extension service, the
teachers of agriculture in the high
school, the consolidated schools, rural
schools, the county and district agricul-
tural agents, the. district agricultural
commercial clubs, railroads, and all 9TH
cI organized forces must cooperate in
making readjustments all along the
line. Each has something to do in rem
dering more efficient service and in
bringing about better cooperation.
DR.. Seaman A. Knapp, founder of the
demonstration work in this country,
has this to say in regard to the Smith
Lever act:
There is much knowledge ap-
plicable and helpful to husbandry
that is annually worked out. and
made available by the scientists
in the United States department
Of agriculture, and in the state ex-
pertinent stations and by individ-