Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-04-19

than half as many county agents there are
now. But these Immediately made survey OF
the agricultural situation, and this has been
largely relied upon both by the food admlnlstra-
ton and by the department of agriculture Ihey
learned what labor was needed on the 1arms'
what seed, what fertilizer, and what were the
possibilities of increased production. Further
more. they supplied the labor, the seed and the
fertilizer whenever possible. Through county
agents. So 900 laborers we're placed on farms
When Mr.. Hoover called for more wheat, the
chief difficulty to find the seed. The county
agents in the northwest searched the country
for seed wheat, and the needs OF over fOOO
farmers were met by them, with the result that
wheat production increased in that section
by nearly 100000 bushels In supplying
farmers with seed the county agents did a
still larger and more difficult work. There
a serious shortage of seed in the great corn
states Of the middle west, such as Indiana and
Illinois. mot enough seed existed in those states
to plant the fields Furthermore, southern seed
could not be used. for it is Of a different va
riety and takes too long to mature Accord
ingIy county agents travelled halfway the
continent seeking seed produced in the same lat
itude. One agent secured eleven carloads OF seed
corn in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and ship
ped it to his county in Indiana. By such expe-
dients as this the seed corn shortage was re-
lieved. More than $4,000 farmers we're sup
piled with seed corn through the efforts OF the
county agents. and in 400 counties the yield Of
corn was nearly 100000 bushels greater than
it would otherwise have been.
The county agent works through organi-
cation of the local farmers known the farm
bureau. This is a body of Tive wires," who are
willing to devote some of their time to improving
agriculture in their county. This bureau appoints
committees to look after the various matters.
Thus much of the work is done by the farmers
themselves. Much of it is initiated by them, too.
But the county agent is the medium through
which they keep in touch with each other, with
the federal department and with their state agr1-
cultural college.
The variety OF activities undertaken By these
county agents and their farm bureaus Is impress
sfve Thus, in Curry county. New Mexico. the
jack rabbits eating up all the wheat The
county agents organized series of rabbit drives,
in which 200 people participated and over $4,000
rabbits killed. In this way, it esti-
mated, 10000 bushels of wheat were saved In
ella county, Arizona, large quantities OF vege-
tables going to waste for lack Of a market
drying and canning campaign was started,
which saved $4,000 worth OF these perishables
In Humboldt county, Iowa, a campaign against
worms in hogs saved 1000 pigs from a nnger-
ing death and netted their owners about 10000
Sixty demonstrations were held to show the
farmers how to make a pig take pill
These instances could be multiplied indeh-
ntely. Mr.. Lloyd, who directs the county agents
of the north and west, has on the wall Of his
office in Washington big poster which states
that the county agents the captains Of the
agricultural forces which winning this war.
This boast seems on the whole to have been made
good