Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-14
HOW THE COUNTY
 AGENT KEEPS BUSY
Has Many Ways of Helping the Far
 nner Grow His Crops.

The improvement of farm practice is
 of interest to every citizen of the state
 of Connecticut because the wealth of
 the state is founded on agriculture.
 For that reason bankers, merchants
 and professional men offer subscrip-
 tions to the Farm Bureau as well as
 the farmers themselves, to be used in
 @ wholly disinterested manner for the
 good of all the people who live in New
 London county-men, women and chil-
 dren.
 Cooperating in this work also are
 the Connecticut Agricultural College
 and the U. s. Department of Agricul-
 ture, the State and the County. Every
 county in the state of Connecticut is
 now organized for this work. New
 London county was the first to organ
 ize.
 Work of the County Agent. The County agent is not hired to
 milk cows or to blow fields. He must
 do things for the whole community. He is not an agent of business. He is not the agent of any trust or indus trial combination, any business inter- est or interests of any group of mid- dlemen, locally or otherwise. He is merely an agent of the whole people, productive of the greatest good to the greatest number. It is not the pur- pose Of the county agent or of the as SOci iatiOn back of him to bother peo- pie who do not care for his services. He IS always glad. however, to give personal service where asked for. The 1 principal advantages of this associa- i tion are in the association and coop | eration of it's members. Every cit l izen in whatever line of business IS entitled to the benefit of the organiza- tiCn work.
 To Improve the Grain Crops. l There are many and varied prob 1 lens, varying in different parts of the county. It is his work to improve the grain crops. He begins with the soil, testing it for acidity, determining i where the different types of soil be- study out the proper plant food, the 1 supply for each field and for each | crop; introducing the growth of le- gunles, studying the problems of soil washing and flowing, the conservation l of manure, the introduction of the one
 best variety of each kind of grain suit i able for soil and climate Introduce 1 ir.g, if possible, all the members to unita upon that one variety and cut | out the mOngrels; to combat insect 1 pests, to eradicate smut and fungus l diseases by the use of fOrmaldehyde. l To control the blight spores, to intro | duCe the uniform grading and farming l of all seedn, to eliminate tue weed en- 1 Cmies, and immature kernels so that | the grain may be bred up to it's high l est efficiency, to get a good reputation l for seed grain, bringing in many more thousands of dollars to the county, l to cooperate with the superintendents 1 and teachers of the public schools, to l establish school gardens and in in- | trOducing agriculture into the 1 schools. To assist in building up the ! dairy herds the establishment of pure | bred sires, the introduction of balanC- 1 ed rations, systematic testing of COWS l and elimination of diseased cattle. To 1 feed more steers, sheep and other an | imals to establish a reputation for | pure bred swine thus attracting a 1 wider market; to encourage the intro l ductiO of pure bred poultry and their i prOncr. care rather than the mixture | new prevalent. To standardize fruits, 1 vegetables and other products, enCOuT- 1 aging the employment of better meth 1 Ods of packing and the establishment i Oe a county or community Iqde mark | Ire spraYIrg of fruit trees by entire | neighborhoOds, the enCouTag cement of | Boys and Girls club work in gardens | pigs poultry, corn, canning, etc. In | cOrjunctiOn with the state and govern - | men leaders in club work, to elimin- l ate waste and duplication of effort to arrange uistricI clubs and tbe exhibit; | Of different clubs at the county f1,- l to cooperate with the Farmers insti- | ute the granges and other farmers | societies.
 1 L4AGoC GU S S1 ACW OA S41C 44i6I44y tI4A11so1 | which are now being done by the 1 county agent. His place is a big one l to fi}t ard the opportunities are only ] limited hT . is ability Gn i l1'r Wiet,s . ] of better farming methods. He studies | t,5 needs and remedies Cf h;5 eur l ty and secures experts from the | college and government whenever 1 they are needed. Within a compar ativeIy short time the value of the
 W or'l of tbe county agent las been recognized throughout the United | States, and the future development of l tEc movement promises to bring about l even greater results in the develop l ment of the farming industry in the i United Stafes.
 1