Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-24
.ACR|CULT URAL ADVANCE;
VIRGINIA IN THE SWIM
Extensive Work, rs Being Carried
On by Agricultural Colleges
and Other Agencies.
HITTING FARMERS DIRECTORY
College Goes Direct to the Farmers.
New System of Education--Notcs
From All Over the Nortll-Doings
of This Year.

| James Wilson, Secretary OF Agrlcul-
ture In tho Cabinets of Presidents Me-
| kinley, Roosevelt and Taft, has Just
! completed for the National Agricul-
tural Society, OF which he is president,
II survey of the most important dcvcl-
opment in American farming at the
| present time
/ work now being carried Oh by the
! agricultural colleges OF the country
the Department OF Agriculture ut
! washington, and other allied agencies.
| to reach the farmers directly.
Tho National Agricultural Society
sent Mr.. Wilson through the country
To carry out it's objects OF mobilizing
American agriculture and establishing
unity of purpose among farmers
! Subscribing to this as organizers OF
the society are some O. tnc best known
! men in the country, among whom are.
Theodore ~ Vail, John A. Spoor Gov.
i1arnor Henry &. Stuart Senator James
| w Wadsworth Robert a. Fairbairn.
! Fairfax Harrison, Charles y. Otis and
g. Howard Dawson.
TIE COLLEGE GOES
TO THE FARMERS
Ex-Sccretary Wilson. in reporting
the result of his investigation in the
curren, issue of the Agricultural Di-
gest. under the title of The College
Goes TO the Farmer" says:
The world has never seen the like
of this present educational movement
| Every properly equipped educational
agency in the country has been set
In motion at actual first hand work
among tho farmers. In every one OF
the forty eiGh: States the campaign is
he!nS pushed vigorously, and / believe
that at the present time at least half
Of the active farming element of the
country is either in direct or indirect
contact with the movement.
This year there WAS spent in farm
demonstration alone approximately
S5o00.0o0. and every one of the States
shared its benefits. In Texas, for in
stance, the expenditures in this work
for the present fiscal year will conc to
100000: in New York state, to SEQ
opC and in Iowa to approximately the
same amount. In each OF some nine OF
ten other states the expenditure will
average not less than $4,000.
"Much of this money was made
available through the operations of The
mith-Lcvcr agricultural extension act,
although the Department OF Aericul-
ture AT Washington appropriated from
its own funds almost 81 100000. The
remainder Of the money came from the
States themselves.
'"rhis fund of $4,000 was spent
in actual field work: that is. in send
ing the farmer TO college, or rather in
taking the college to the farmer. when
one recalls that in addition to the
above the yearly activities of the De-
partment of Agriculture Al Washing
ton average about S30,00o.o00. II will
be seen that the country has gone
about the education OF the farmer In
"A most surprising way. Account should
also be taken of the regular work OF
the agricultural colleges Of the conn
.ry, which are turning out thousands Of
young men every year, 50 per cent Of
whom engage III some form OF agri-
culture. II is clearly evident. think,
that the United States Is beginning to
realize what can be done in the way
Of agricultural education.
TEACHING THAT COMES
RIGHT At HOME
| Extension work during the past
| year covered n wide range of activities
| Domestic science was taught TO the
| wives OF the farmers in their own
| kitchens; scientific farm management
was demonstrated ON thousands Of
! farms; boys and girls were encourage
TO form pig, poultry and other clubs
| agricultural engineering was taught 1T
many places: better dairying was
demonstrated; III a word. direct and
| practical instruction in scientific tgri-
culture was given To the American
| farmer in every direction.
Perhaps the most striking feature
Of this extension work was that the
past year saw the first organized at
tempt in a large way 10 teach the
! American farmer the benefits Of CO.
| operative activity. Last year in many
! Of the States the extension workers
set about the organization OF o-opera-
tive selling agencies and other forms
| OF rural organization.
| This is development Of profound
! Significance to American life. for il is
| notorious that Of all classes Of work
crs the farmer has been the most tardy
in undertaking cooperative activity in
II large and sustained way In many
| States during the past year co-operat-
| ing marketing organizations were
started among groups Of farmers. and
| this promises TO he the most important
| phase of the work undertaken by those
! directing extension work. believe
that once the farmers Of our country
begin 1" practice cooperation along
sensible lines agricultural progress
| will advance AZ q rate never known in
| this history. II will certainly lead to
| enormous money economies OF an i'm
| mediate kind, and it will speedily
! eliminate whatever friction may now