The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-08-09
COUNTY AGENT IS
QUITE BUSY MAN
Field Workers Entitled to Much
Credit for Present Expan-
sion OF Agriculture.
DON'T LlNGER in LIMELIGHT
Often Give Unusual Service in Pc
cuiIar Way--Put Enthusiasm and
Interest Into Work Essential
In Bringing Results.

In the present great expansion and
development of American agriculture
officials of the United States depart
meat OF agriculture are confident that
large share of credit must be given
to the county agricultural agent--the
"mlsslonary of better farming" who
| works comparatively for the federal
government and the states and carries
to the farmer the knowledge developed
by the specialists and scientists.
The work OF the county agent, like
every other line of work, Is largely
routine and II is never spectacular.
But there Is ample evidence that the
county agents as whole put into
their work the enthusiasm and the In
terest always essential In bringing re-
suits. And occasionally, too, may be
found instances of unusual work done
la an unusual way.
Working on snowshoes.
The picture with this article shows
county agent who travelled 20 miles
on snowshoes to help farmer. He
knew that the farmer wanted an an
alysis made Of his business so that he
could know what crops would bring
him the largest return. The county
agent chose the wintry weather be-
cause he knew 1t would prevent the
farmer from doing outside work. So
he put on his snowshoes and made
the Journey over the snowdrifts and
rough country OF lei Paso county, Colo
RADIO.
Five years ago there was no pure
| bred live stock In William county,
North Dakota, which is well adapted
for grazing. The county agent began
TO advocate live stock raising and now
the county has approximately fifteen
| fine herds of Shorthorn, Angus and
| Hereford cattle. A demand for pure
bred cattle Is now strong in this
county. At two sales last March and
/ June more than two hundred head
were sold by Williams county farmers
TO their neighbors.
Supplying Seed Corn.
| Last spring Indiana farmers found
they did not have half enough seed
corn for their needs. They put up
their plight TO an assistant state leader
for county agents, with the result that
the county agents surveyed the state
and got accurate estimates from farm
ers of the amounts needed. The assist
ant state leader spent several weeks
in New Jersey, New York and Della
ware and personally selected enough
corn to meet the Indiana demand
Preferences In shipping We're given tC
the seed corn and II was delivered II
ample time for planting,
In Illinois a county agent was sta
toned In Chicago with the state com
ell of defense to work ON the seed
corn situation He handled 150.0Ot
bushels of seed corn and met the Hi
nOis demand. The work was finances
at first by Chicago bankers and late
by the department of agriculture.
An Opportunity Developed.
In Madison county, Kentucky, tn
county agent found that the farmer
} In one portion placed little value o.
the soil and took little interest in try
} ing TO improve IT, He also found tina
] many farmers of this section wer
! growing in an Indifferent way IA sma
acreage OF cantaloupes and that IN
Z eantaloupes yielded wen and were {
r fine quality The county agent starte
o IN to develop cantaloupe growing an
J In 1916 induced about twenty farmer