Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1917-06-09
SENFES Dep AKTMEN1
| OF AGRICULTURE
! AND THE FARMER.
Ngrem West Virginia Farmer
GranRe AdYocata.l

CultuT0i"aS Cre0te0 In the year 1911,
the FIRST commissioner elected in the
year 1912. and sworn into Office the
9TH OF March. 1913. The present Com
missioner, Mr.. H. e. Williams, came
1nto Office with NO library, with no pre-
cedents TO fellow, and with no office
equipment. and has had the difficult
task OF organizing an entirely new de-
partment OF the State Government
with now objects and purposes, and
Tor the abetterment not only Of the
farmers, but OF the whole people OF the
State who consume the products Of the
farms.
There was no library; today there
Is In the Department Library, properly
lnde1ed and available for use by any
citizens, a library complete with all
the available bulletins and publica.
tons OF the state colleges Of agricul-
ture. the agricultural experiment sta.
lions, and the U. s. Department OF
Agriculture, properly classified and
bound. There are many other vol
umes on agricultural subjects of gen.
era interest There Is a very com.
plete set OF stud, herd and flock books,
bred live stock may have the record
OF his animals verified at any time by
writing to the Commissioner, who says
that It Ia his hope. as rapidly as time
and means will permit, to make this
library complete, and make Of it a
circulating library for general use
among the farmers and prospective
farmers, 80 that Information OF this
character may be sent throughout the
State at q nominal cost.
Accurate advanced information on
crop production and prospective yield
Is OF Importance to the well-informed
producer. as we'll as the prospective
purchaser. Three years ago, there
we're no reliable statistics OF this ma,
ture. The state and Federal Govern.
ments each were conducting so-called
Federal Bureaus. but neither getting
Information OF q reliable character.
Some eighteen months ago, Mr.. vii.
lams conceived the idea that one
bureau, properly equipped and man
eyed would get better results than the
two conducted In the old way. To this
end. he proposed TO Mr.. Estabrook, the
NAAoA Al SAC Co0CEdl buI0du Oh CTOD
Estimates, that the Federal Bureau
and tho State Department OF Agricul-
ture cooperate, with the result that
today. West Virginia has the first and
only cooperative agricultural stats
tic and crop estimate bureau In the
United States, in which the State and
Federal Governments work together
each contributing to the success Of the
other. It Is the Commissioners pur
pose and desire to extend tho worn
Just begun as rapidly as possible until
the Department will have an accurate
record OF the Individual farmers pro-
duction which will make conditions
right for the best cooperative system
OF marketing farm products.
Three years ago, the State had no
Division Of Markets, and little. II any,
systematic EFFORT had been made by
the State, either to increase produc-
ton, improve the quality of the pack,
secure better freight rates or better
markets. About one year ago, the d.
vision OF Markets was created In the
Department Of Agriculture, and
through It's efforts much Investigation
40 IVA - AA~o ooOA Nol AOu vi Will IuS
result that In the apple and peach dis
tricts Of West Virginia, q better ant
more uniform crop will be secured
which means better product. A littl.
advertising has been carried on, ant
new and better markets found, ant
with an over-production of peache!
throughout the country last year, buy
ers were more plentiful and competi
ton was much greater than woult
have been expected under ordinar,
conditions. But the greatest benefit a
present derived from the market worl
1s perhaps noticed in the adjustmen
OF freight and express rates and bet
ter shipping facilities. The Commits
s1oner says that most Of the transpo1
taion companies have gladly mad
any reasonable adjustment when tn
matter has been presented to the prc
per authorities. 1t is conservative
estimated, and the estimate is base,
on facts, that the new Market Burea,
while In existence only about one year
has secured adjustments, which hav
already saved our fruit growers thou
sands OF dollars, and when the reduc
tons now being sought are made, thi
saving will very largely increase, g