The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1917-11-29
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.

ThesNeed of a Farm Dem0nstra-
ton Agent for Rankin
County.
Our Home Economics agent
has done splendid work for the
girls and ladies of the county in
teaching home economics in
every phase; also, the Baby
Bee, Pig, and Corn Clubs have
done such good for the county
that it cannot be summarized.
In order for us to reap a rich
harvest from these agencies, we
need a farm demonstra alton
agent. These agencies have
been the pioneers, so to speak in
our agricultural progress. They
have shown conclusively what is
needed. These agencies work in
community circles. And now
comes the time for them to be
worked as a whole. when we
consider the county's production
and the marketing her products.
Such an agent would insure a
better productions and also a bet
ter marketing.
Why should we produce food
products and have to sell them
in small lots in competition with
other counties, where they have
such agents and sell in carload
lots on the cooperative plan?
Practically every county that
joins us has farm demonstra-
ton agent. If it is a good in
vestment for them, it should be
for us. At least, we could in
vestigate and see what they are
doing for these counties; because
about one-half of the salary of
these agents is paid by the Fed.
eral government, and if it is a
paying proposition, we are losing
what should be coming to us.
For the last few years our
farmers have been following, to
some extent, a diversified farm
ing. But they have had little
encouragement in it, for they
had no markets to sell their
products. By having a real up
to-date farm demonstration
agent, we could be encouraged in
this kind of farming, and mar
kets could be found for us.
There is little probability of any
farmer planting a food product
if he does not know whether he
can sell this :product when it is
ready for the market. All his
time is taken up on his farm,
and he has no time for hunting
markets for his products. Be-
sides the houses that handle a
certain food PR duct, want it in
carload lots of a uniform stand
ard and quality. The farm de-
monstration agent is the only
person that can have these con-
ditions met and find the suitable
market for same. He is an adj
vertising medium between the
producer and the buyer. as far
as the marketing problem is con-
cerned.
The farm demonstration agent
can organize the farmers to plant
such products that are suitable
for the market, in such acreage
that he can have an estimate Of
the product before the market
ing time, which he can furnish
the buyer, which is very essen
tial to any business man. In
rther words, he can have all con-
ditions met to such an, extent
that the product can be shipped
direct to the dealer without the
middleman's profit, which goes
direct to the producer, where it
rightfully belongs.
It has always been that the
shipments Of food products.
where such shipments are under
an agent who knows how to
grade and market, bring better
prices than those under person
or persons that are not familiar
with marketing. Hence. a real
good farm demonstration agents
salary would be paid in very few
shipments for the overplus in
prices; whereas, we would not
get such prices tor the products,
when we know not what to mar
ket, when to market, nor how to
grade as to quality and stand
ard. :"
So we believe that the time is
ripe for such an agent, when the
government is clamoring for a
bountiful supply of food to feed
our army, navy, and our allies.
We would establish ourselves as
a more progressive agricultural
people - prosperity, happiness,
and contentment.
HI. H. BULLOCK,
Co. Supt. of Education.