Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-02-09
The County Agriculturist.
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To the Editor:- There are two reas-
ons which the farmers harp upon IN
their objections to county agrleul-
turist more than all the other reasons
put together. -,
First: If the farmers put up with
someone hanging round and bossing
their affairs they soon wouldn't have
any individuality left.
Second: 1t is a great note that we
old farmers who have been farming Tor
the last 40 years should have to have
some young upstart come round and |
show us how to farm.
1t is difficult to see how anyone who
understands the work of the county ag- |
rieulturist can from any view look upon
him as a boss.
If the dairy inspector comes round
and finds you have poor light in your
barn, that you are letting the manure
uile up behind your cows, that you
are not keeping your separator and milk
utensils in a sanitary condition, he VIII
tell you to fix up and clean up, IN a
manner you will have no trouble under,
standing. He will show you the law, and
YOU must either comply with the law
or quit the business, else you will be
arrested, brought to town and fined.
If the county agriculturist comes on
your place, he introduces himself to
you, and if you tell him you don I
care for his services he goes away and
let's you alone. But if you say, :'I am
glad to meet you, 1 do not know Of
any questions l would like to ask you
but if YOU will oblige me by going
over my place and showing me some Of
the changes / ought to make, and give
me some of the ideas you have picked
up from other farmers 1 will appreciate
it " he will do all in his power to help
you.
You show him your COW barn and he
tells you, "No, it does not come up to
the requirements of the law" You talk
| the matter over with him and he 'eX-
plains to you why the law was passed,
and why the majority of the people are
in favor of it, He also explains to you
the manner in which another farmer
! has fixed his old barn over, and gives
+ you chance to get your barn IN shape
before the inspector comes round. You
feel like he has saved you from an i'm
pending evil.
Besides maybe he has examined your
clover, and found it not worth saving
for seed He explains to you how he
tells so you can tell yourself next time.
He explains to you several little things
he has picked up around the country
that you hadn t thought of which are
well worth knowing. You wouldn t take
five dollars for the knowledge you have
gained.
You show him a scheme you have
originated. He pronounces it bright
idea, and thanks you for having point
ed it out to him, and gives you the
name of a man who was inquiring for
Just that bit of information, and he
hadn t been able to give it to him. You
feel gratified because you were able to
give something for what you received.
The world doesn't appear to you so cold
and heartless, and comfortable feeling
steals over you when you think of your
self being of some benefit to the rest of
mankind. You have lost that selfish de-
sire to let alone and be let alone. Your
self respect, your individuality makes
a tremendous growth in very short
time. You stick your thombs in the
armholes of your vest and give your
wife a bearhug and kiss that fairly
astonishes her, she hasn t been handled
so roughly for three months. You go
at your work with more interest, take
more pains and wonder if you can think
out something else that would be well
worth while for the outside world to
know. 1t makes the day you begin to
get down to real study of your profess
sion. When every farmer begins to do
that then the outside world will begin
to take note and remark upon what
Marion county is doing.
If the fruit inspector comes round
and you have an old orchard that is
full of disease, and menace to the
rest of the country, you are told to
clean it up or cut it down and burn it
up or he will have to do it for you and
YOU pay the cost
The county agriculturist comes on
your place, observes your orchard and
asks you if you would like to have him
show you how to prune it and kill out
the disease If you say no, alright, he
will pay no further attention to it.
If you say yes, he will prune one of
the trees for you. explaining to you
all the while why he cuts out this
branch and leaves that, then he lets
you prune one while he watches that
you make no mistake He tells you how
to finger prune the trees every week OF
two, for a while to prevent them grow
ing up ii water-sprouts. Then he tells
you how much of each chemical to get
and how to mix them for spraying the
, trees and when to spray, Your neigh.
bors are all invited to come and watch
the demonstration. Everything goes on
in a sociable manner. He comes tC
help you. He can do nothing without
: your consent. He is your public serv
ant Just the same as the postmaster ol
rural carrier. Yet him refuse to serve
, you when your demands are reasonable
, and unless he is able to give a good ex
cuse, your complaint sent to headquar
2 ters would start an investigation of hi
I conduct. He would be compelled L
apologize and make matters right will
[ you or a new man would be put in tn,
field
, As for the second complaint it has
[ still poorer foundation.
None of us know it all. Neither IL
! any of us know sufficient that we cal
! afford to cease learning. Furthermor
we have to seek after knowledge if WI
/, get very much of it. Even the count,