Philip weekly review and Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 1912-1918, 1917-01-25
through Calling attention to

through Calling attention to
good methods already practiced
by the best farmers of the COM
munity. The needs of the county
usually are discussed by the
agents with State eXtenslon-wOrk
leaders, county officials, and
leading farmers, and a project
pr gram adopted. Farmers are
then found who are willing to
c operate I'M the demonstration
of improved meth ods and when
results of the demonstrations are
apparent; field meetings are held
. in order that the farmers may
see the results and determine
their value The agent ALSO as
sists the farmers to organize CO.
operative associa tions, conducts
sh(at courses I'm agriculture
holds meetings, often illustrated
| by lantern slides of local agri-
cultural subjects; writes timely
agricultural articles which are
published i'm the local county
press; and carries en- other
similar activities.
i How the activities of the agent
vary with their environment is
shown by the work with corn.
In the far North and Northwest
this wCnk has been chiefly i'm
securing varieties that will ma
ture I'M the short growing season.
In the corn belt principal atten-
ti(m has been given to the tes-
ting of seed and the standard
izatiom of varieties. In New
Yoak ard New England emphasi.
has been placed om the growing
Of more satisfact ry silalge va
rieties.
In Illinois activities have GEN.
tered i'm some sections ON the
intr auction of alfalfa, and in
one county having an agent since
1911 there is N w d greater ac
rcage of alfalfa than there was
in the whole State in 1914. Prac
tically throughout the N thwest
the agents have stliven to br-
.ng about the more general
treatment of oat seed to prevent
smut. In some counties where
demonstratiC rs have been car
ried on for three years the p1tl-
ctice has become almost unaver-
sal. The average increase in
yield, due to the treatment,
ON all demonstration has been
9.S bushels, and has been obtain
ed at a cost of less than 10 cents.
The county agents have been
instrumental i'm bringing about
the introduction of live stock in
regions where grain farming had
been exclusively on largely prac-
ticed, and i'm all sections of the
Northwest have dome much TO-
ward the naturalization of
breeds. One saving they have
effected frequently in cattle
raising lis the exchange of sires
by different communities. This
has, to large extent, displac
ed the old plan of selling fine
animals for beef after several
years of service to prevent in
breeding. Many head of live
stock also have been sawed
through the advice given by the
agents to the owners Of diseased
animals and through the direct
treatment of the animals by the
agents. Nearly 100000 hogs have
been treated in this way for
cholera and many head of cattle
were saved by the work Of tine
agents in preventing the spread
OF foot and mouth disease.
In their work as regards souls
the agents have made plans
which have resulted i'm the
draining of 143,7OO acres of land
and the irrigation of nearby So
900 acres. Farmers have been
shown how to- effect )nsider-
abhe savings and to secure al
product better adapted TO their
needs by the home mixing OF
commercial fertilizers, how to|
develop local supplies of lime
Stone and lime and use them to
best advantage, and how to OBJ
tain best results from green ma
nuling.
The county agents i'm 1915 as
sisted ,52:3 farmers in analyz-
ing their farm business and in
determining the factors limiting
Income. In the cooperative pur-
chase ofi farm supplies and CO.
operative marketing of farm pro-
| n uafy tbn aUantc in 1Q1S ,a,xOmOf-