Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-08
DIRECTOR BLISS REVIEWS WORK
OF AoalcuLTuR'sTs IN SUP.
PLYIN6 FOOD.
MUCH ACCOMPLISHED THRU
BUREAUS AND AGENTS
Grain Yields and Live Stock Produe.
ton Greatly insrsassd-eoys and
Girls Lsnd Their Aid Thru Club
Work-Withdra~sal Of State Support
Makes Continuation Doubtful.
pecial to Times Republican.

Ames, Jan. Slow Iowa farmers
helped win the war 10 told in the re-
port of Director r. X. I Bliss, OF the
agricultural extension department OF
Iowa state College submitted to Presi-
dent r. A. Pearson. OF the college. The
report, which Is an outline OF inc
work accomplished. covers the period
from July l, 1917. to June 30. 1918.
At the beginning Of this period.
twenty nine counties had organized
farm bureaus and employed county
agents. Eight months later every
county in the state had farm bureau.
one had two, and all except one had
a county agent. a man for this county
being appointed soon after the end OF
the period.
Thirty-fve thousand farmers Joined
farm bureaus and have supported them
with annual cash payments. Due 10
this support, extension work in this
state with one exception. gets less
state support than in any other state
in the union The report says there
is some doubt as to whether or not TO
keep the organization after the war
emergency support is withdrawn.
Grain production in the state was
increased Is per cent the staple grains
increasing in the year 100000
bushels. BY way of comparison. this
was enough to furnish every man.
woman and child in France with one
pound Of grain per day for a year.
Roughly speaking it represented an In
crease of 100000 bushels Of grain for
every day in the crop growing sea-
son.
Live Stock Increased.
Live stock took a jump in numbers,
sheep increasing $4,000 in number,
cattle $4,000, and hogs $4,000 over
last years number.
Garden and truck crops have re-
ceived an inestimable increase, due to
war gardens. The state knows Of the
enormous increase in this line. To give
proper publicity, and to distribute in
formation in order to increase produc-
ton to such an extent, over three ind
a half million booklets. bulletins, cir
culars and cards were distributed
among farmers OF the state.
Specialists in the extension depart
ment during the year, along with local
club leaders. delivered $3.50 lectures,
conducted 1878 demonstrations. juosed
\ $40 exhibits. coming into contact with
zoe, 600 people. In other words. for
every working day In the year. thirty
two lectures were given. sixteen
demonstrations conducted, three ex-
hibits judged and 1000 people reached.
County agents during the year re-
ceiyed over 1870 900 Gals at their offices,
generally from farmers who wanted
help. The agents gave help in diverse
ways, one being in the form OF $4,000
visits to. the farms.
over rs, 900 boys and girls Of the
state were interested in club work, in
Guiding gardens. corn growing, baby
beef and pig feeding. canning. food
preparation, garment making asd poul-
try clubs. .
In this year successful seed corn
campaigns were conducted whereby
good seed was put into the hands OF
farmers in sections Of the state where
no seed was available. Both spring
and winter wheat campaigns were sue
cessful. Conservation of food received
full share of the work. not only
human food, but also food for live
stock. Demonstrations for spraying.
orchard care. farm management, stock
feeding. dairy production, butter and
cheese manufacture, marketing farm
products. farm business records. and
cort rolling animal diseases, we're con-
Quoted. .-...
In all the farmers did their work by
increased production for each man. rs
| is shown by the fact that in the neigh
borhood of $4,000 men left the farms
for war service, and very few in pro-
portion were taken onto farms to help
out with the work.