The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1917-02-02

ing attention to good methods al
ready practised by the best farm
ers of the community. The
needs of the county usually are
discussed by the agents with
State extension.work leaders
county officials, and leading farm
ers, and a project program ad
opted. Farmers are then found
who are willing to cooperate in
the demonstration of improved
methods and when results of the
demonstrations are apparent,
field meetings are held in order
that the farmers may see the re-
suits and determine their value.
The agent also assists the farm
erS to organize cooperative asSo-
Citations; conducts short courses
in agriculture; holds meetings, Of
ten illustrated by lantern slides
of local agricultural subjects;
writes timely agricultural articles
which are published in the local
county press; and carries on other
similar activities.
How the activities of the agent
vary with their environment is
shown by the work with corn.
In the far North and Northwest
this work has been chiefly in se-
curing varieties that will mature
in the short growing season. In
the corn belt principal attention
has been given to the testing of
seed and the standardization of
varieties. In New York and New
England emphasis has been plac-
ed on the ecowine of more salts
factory silage varieties.
In Illinois activities have CEN
tered in some sections on the in
PRODUCTION of alfalfa, and in one
county having an agent since 1914
there is now a greater acreage of
alfalfa than there was in the
whole state in 1914. Practically
throughout the Northwest the
Northwest the agents have striv-
en- to bring about the more gen.
eral treatment of oat seed to pre-
vent smut. In some counties
where demonstrations have been
carried on for three years the
practice has become almost uni
verSal. The average increase in
yield, due to the treatment, on ell
demonstrations has been 8.8 bush
els, and has been obtained at a
cost of less than 10 cents.
The county agents have been
instrumental in bringing about
the introduction of live stock in
regions where grain farming had
been exclusively or largely prac-
ticed, and in all sections of the
Northwest have done much to-
ward the Standardization of
breeds. One saving they have
effected frequently in cattle rails
ing is the exchange of sires by
different communities. This has,
to a large extent, displaced the
old plan of selling fine animals
for beef after several years of SER
vice to prevent inbreedin9. Many
head of live stock also have been
saved through the advice given
by the agents to the owners Of
diseased animals and through the
direct treatment of the animals
by the agent. Nearly 100000
hogs have been treated in this
way for cholera and many head
of cattle were saved by the work
of the agents in preventing the
spread of foot-and-mouth disease.
In their work as regards soils
the agents have made plans which
have resulted in the draining of
143,700 acres of land and the ir-
rigation of nearly $4,000 acres.
Farmers have been shown how to
effect considerable savings and to
secure a product better adapted
to their needs by the home mix.
ing of commercial fertilizers, how
/ to develOD local supplies of lime