Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-01-19
X 4 y Il y 4 y y x 4 * x x * ,
COUNTY AGRIoULTURIsT

Editor Capital Journal: ! have
motel with interest what has been said
in the Open Forum on the question OF
the employment OF county agricultur
| ist.
Now, ! have taken pains to try to
find out just how farmers stand OIL
this much talked of matter.
These are some of the reasons assign
ed by the opposition
Don t need anyone to tell us how
to grow bigger crops now Better get
our market system in working order So
we can sell at profit what is now pro-
duced. When we see chance to get
better prices then we farmers will roll
up our sleeves and double our yield. A
county agriculturist may be of some
help then, but not now, unless he en-.
ployes his time in helping to develop
markets and system OF farm credits.
those who seem so mucn concerned
about providing the farmers with an
expert agrculturist would use their in
fluence first in opening up real up
to-date public market in Salem their
efforts would not be so subject of
wrong interpretations. He said the
market, where now located is taken by
many as an evidence on the part of
some one; or subtle plan to kill the
movement in Salem and charge its fail
ure up to the producer and consumer.
Why, of course, we need an expert
agriculturist, said another farmer.
" But we need a man VINO insists on a
free hand like II. B. Coglan, agricul.
turist for Lane county. During the
past year that man worked among the
farmers and grange organizations,
teaching them the real meaning of co.
operative buying and selling. He has
organized the farmers into bodies TO
transact much of their own business
through committees and sub-commit-
tees. :,
In the subordinate oranges many
plans of saving cash are now being ear
ried out in pooling orders for beet
pulp, brooms, groceries, shipping live,
stock TO Portland markets and the like.
cone committee was required to pro
mate a public market in Eugene. On
the first day the market was open only
eight booths were occupied. Six weeks
later on the corresponding day 43 farm
ers were selling their own products in
beefs, five muttons, 81 hogs, 800
chickens, home cookery, canned fruit,
besides wagon loads of vegetables and
boxed fruit. That's the way the coun.
ty agriculturist in Lane county mas
started things going among the farm
ers. But this is not one half of what
he has done for the development of ag-
riculture around Eugene. Mr.. Coglon
is proving to be. real agricultural
Moses, leading the Lane county farm.
ers ont Of the wilderness of discourag-
ments through which they were crop.
ing He has also made it possible for
tine needy families in Eugene to get
food at prices they can afford to pay,
much of which would nave gone to
waste on the farms had it not been for
the public market. Yes sir, we need a
county agricuturist in Marion county,
but he should realize that his time and
energy should be used along the line
that mas brought so mucn benefit to
Lane county and Eugene If we can.
not have an agriculturist who is able
and willing to work along the lines fol-
lowed out by the Lane county agricul.
turist we had better have none at all. -
| found several farmers quite uncon.
eeIned about an expert farm adviser
being employed for their benefit. But
those who did express themselves were
Of the opinion that mis- services could
be of little value except along the
lines above indicated.
OBSERVER.
Salem, Oregon, January II.