The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-06-21
Can Secure Timely Assistance
From Specialists If They But
Know How to Go About 1t.
N. A. C. IS HEADQUARTERS
Making Up Of Rations, Testing Of
Soils and Combating OF Plant Dis
eases Few of Things Col.
lege Does.
BY EARL r. TRANGMAR.
Michigan Agricultural College.

with 800 broad, rolling acres of thor
oughly fitted land. Every building
and animal bespoke able management.
But even 30, Johnson was not who'll
ly content. His wheat, he observed,
was yielding only IS 10 20 bushels to
the acre, while one of his progressive
neighbors with an almost identical
type of soil was securing yields of %
bushels or better. For some reason
Johnson found he simply couldn't
bring up his yields, even with liberal
manuring and the planting of superior
strains Of grain.
Must be something else lacking In
the SOIL" he finally concluded.
Johnson had fallen into the habit,
when confronted with problems some
what beyond the reach of his own
extensive farm knowledge, Of taking
UP matters with the college. So now
he gathered up a number of typical
examples of his soil, placed them in
bottles and forwarded them to the
soils department Of nj. A. G. for ex-
animation.
about all your land needs" the de-
pnrtment wrote back in few days, as
q good dose of lime" Johnson acted
on the suggestion-that was two years
ago. Last year the college received
this message from him:
my yields have jumped up five
bushels to the acre"
Now 1t cannot be said that johnson
Is by any means an average farmer.
If he was, he would never have thought
Of submitting a soil sample to NJ. A. c.,
for In the course Of much travelling
about the state / have learned that
most agriculturists, and this includes
many prosperous farmer, are but lit
tie familiar with the opportunities
which exist for the securing of assist
ance from the college and the state.
In some quarters the idea still per-
sists that about all the college does Is
produce graduates-whereas its work
is threefold, for besides educating stu
dents II maintains as well an expert
ment station for the working out Of
agricultural problems and an extension
service for aiding the farmer directly.
II Is with this service that jewellers
In the country will find 1t most con-
venient to become acquainted.
How can the extension service be
used? A query Of this kind might be
answered in a typically Yankee fash
ion with another question. How can
q physician or a lawyer be used?" If
you find yourself doubled up with a
pain with which you are unfamiliar,
you call in the family doctor. If you
are a farmer and you stroll into your
potato patch some morning to find
your tuber plants in a bad way, 1t is
possible TO make use of the extension
service Of the college by calling in the
plant pathologist (plant doctor) or by
submitting to him few diseased
plants. In such case all that would
be necessary would be to wrap up q
few Of the plants in box and mail
them to the department Of botany, in
East Lansing.
Upon receiving the specimens the
Psychologists examine them, and in a
day or two letter will come back in
forming you that your crop is suffer
ing from black leg, rhizoctonia, wilt.
or any one Of the many Affections to
which the potato is susceptible. IL the
pathologist cannot tell you how the
sick plants can be saved, he at least
can usually place you in possession of
facts which will enable you to protect
your potatoes in the future.
This is only one way in which the
college and the extension service can
be used. II you are dairyman with
a number of feeds on hand and you
are undecided just what mixture of
them would make the best balanced
ration, an inquiry addressed to the
dairy department of NJ. A. G. will prob
ably secure you the information you
desire.
In fact expert advice can be obtain
ed from the dairy and animal hus-
bandry men of the college on almost
any question bearing upon the breed.
ing and feeding Of live stock, whether
the animals be dairy or beef cattle, or
sheep and swine.
Or II you are considering purchasing
some commercial feed and are doubt.
full about Its exact feeding value, II r.
usually possible to obtain its "pedi.
gree" from the chemistry experiment
station by mailing TO Prof. A. J. Pat.
ten the brand or trade name of the
feed, with the name and. address of
manufacturers. The same can be done
with fertilizers. This one department
Of the college through its work In this
field, has probably saved the aericul.
turists of the state from more frauds
than any other agency created for the
protection of the farmer.
Occasionally 1t is not feed and fer.
tilizer problems that concern the ,coun-
trymen 30 much as 1t is insect pests
maggots In the beans. grubs In the
cOrn M 6ioa In tha whoof Mov AL