Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1916-04-22
The Value of a
County Agent
Opposition To a County Agent
Is Considered.
by II. l.. Barnum]

Before the value of County Agent
has been established by actual trial
there are always many objections
raised which on the surface at least
appear reasonable. Calm considera-
ton of some of the objections, how
ever, generally shows them lacking in
logical foundation, and the others fall
in the face of the actual facts of the
case.
One of the objections heard, and this
even in counties where farm advisers
are employed, is that the men sent out
are not experts. When this movement
was in its infancy County Demonstra-
tors, Farm Advisers, or County Agri-
cultural Agents, as they are now called,
were spoken of as Farm Experts. This
title of Expert had misleading effect
and some people expected the agent to
know everything about every phase of
the broad subject of farming. At pre-
sent almost everyone has come to
realize that no one man can know it
all. The wisest and most experienced
man in the world cannot know all about
farming, or doctoring, or banking, or
practicing law. That is why advisers
or examiners are needed in all of these
callings.
A farm adviser is not a man who
never makes a mistake, but a trained
observer who gathers the best informa-
tion from the best farmers and scien-
lists and passes it on to whomsoever
inquiries.
Another objection often heard in
CharlevoiX County is that the County
Agent might be young college gradu-
ate with no practical farm experience.
This, if true, would be a very serious
objection surely. We doubt if any man
can succeed as a farm adviser purely
from college training. To be well
qualified such person ought to have
college training in the theoretical aud
scientific side of agriculture, of course,
but he should also have few years of
actual farming experience if for no
other reason than to acquaint him with
the limitations of theory in actual prac-
tice.
Now, the men responsible for the
placing of County Agents know these
things just as well as any farmer does.
The men who have been sent into the
various Michigan counties as farm ad-
visers have succeeded because they did
possess the two essential qualifications
mentioned above. Jason Woodman,
the agent in Kalamazoo County, is an
old man. c. B. Cook of Allegan county
is man in middle life. H. g. Smith
of Kent, Brody of st. Clare, Walker of
Marquette, and, in fact, all the others
are men of maturity. In no case has
an inexperienced college graduate been
sent in answer to a call for a county
Farmers OF Charlevoix County need
have no fear of having a misfit sent for
farm advisor. If by any chance the
State Superintendent of County Agents
should send such a person, those in
charge of the movement in the county
can reject him and ask for another
candidate. The man finally chosen
must be satisfactory to all concerned.
Still another objection is the increase
in taxation. Now, it cannot be said
that a $1,000 or $500 appropriation
spread on the tax roll will not increase
the taxes. The question is, therefore,
what will this increase be and will the
returns from the investment warrant
it? The following figures are intended
to show how little each person in the
county will feel the increase.
With her 10000 population Charlie
voix County would feel $1,000 appro-
priation as tax of cents per capita.
There are 1850 farms in the county.
The county's share of the expense of
county agent would amount to an
assessment of only "a cents on each
farm each year. On the basis of
acreage the tax would amount to near
ly one cent per acre, as the average
farm in the county has S7.4 acres.
On the basis of valuation the tax
would amount to about three-tenths of
mill on each dollars farm valuation.
Next, with the returns warrant an
investment of "a cents year per farm
in a county agent? The investment is
small, it is true; but if the returns are
less, good business principles forbid
the investment. We believe, however,
that the farmers of the county can well
afford to invest many times this
amount for the privilege Of having
farm adviser continually at their SER
vice. One example of how such per.
son might be of value in dollars and