The Mena weekly star., 1919-08-28
1T PAYS THE FARMER TO AT
TEND THE SHORT COURSE
]. p. Callahan. Who Went This Year,
Says as Pleasure Trip Alone, 1t Was
Worth the COst--0ther Benefits.

w vi AhE AUot-~-0aAGh Af~at~A-N-+-
To The Star:
Being one of the 270 farmers of
Arkansas who attended the Short
Course at Fayetteville last week, |
deem it duty owe to the Extension
Division and to the faculty of the
State University, as well as to the
farmers OF. eur home county to give
a short account of the trip. Especial
ly as it was decided to make this an
annual feature. The first question in
this case is very common one. Did
it pay? The answer frem everyone
who was there would be Eyes"
OF the many Institutes, conventions
or like gatherings | have attended, it
is the only one that l did not hear
some word of criticism. There was no
crouch there. Our time was about
equally divided between profitable
pleasure, visiting the best apple or
chards in the world, stock farms on
which was represented some Of the
best blood of the best herds Of horses,
cattle, hogs, sheep and goats in the
United States, and thoro inspection
of the University Experiment farms,
where the tests as to variety, fertiliz-
ing and cultivation of crops were ex-
planned to us by the man in charge of
eac hline of experiments, and attend
ing lectures and discourses by the best
talent in Arkansas, and in some in
stances the best in the United States.
We took trip each day. The bust
ness men of Fayetteville furnished
the necessary autos for three of them,
in which we secuted around. the Uni
versity City. Thursday we were met
furnished by the business men and
| farmers of that beautiful town and
country And Friday the people of
Prairie Grove showed us that they did
not allow any town to Guido them in
hospitality.
will not ask for space to describe
things which we were shown | value
a reputation for veracity too highly
to attempt it. Will say like the Dutch
man if 81 didn't believe it, | couldn't
see it"
will only try to register my con-
illusions here. First, as vacation or
pleasure trip it is worth to farmer
all it costs
But outside of the pleasure feature,
it renews a farmers grip; gives him
new courage. His aims will be high
err, and we never shoot higher than
we aim.
No farmer who attended this course
will ever oppose the extension work,
and believe they will use every effort
after seeing the effort put forth by the
Extension Division of Arkansas and
the great need of this work, and the
many benefits already derived from
this work, to convince each and every
farmer to use his influence towards
securing an ample appropriation from
the Quorum Court for carrying on
this work for each succeeding year.
And after attending several of the
agents meeting and listening to their
superiors in the work giving them
their instructions, | for one, am not
afraid of any county of the state be-
ing burdened with an incompetent
agent for very long Deliver the
goods or geteout, is just what is re-
quired of them. This is one place
where ''getting by" don't count.
And just one word for our own
county. When the roll was called
was proud that old Polk county did
mot come up missing, as some other
counties did. / was proud also of hav-
ing the best looking County Agent
there, but more so that he was present
with lively interest at all meetings.
And | know that he saw to it that
Polk county occupied the place she de-
serves in the agricultural map of the
State.
Now, Bro. Farmer, begin right now
to see that we have an agent in our
county next year. Begin right now to
get ready to take the short course
next year.
And in conclusion / want to say that
the farmers Of Polk county are "pass-
ing up good thing" by not securing
the results attained by the experiment
farm. It is ours for the asking.
Every farmer should be on their mail
ing list. Each department has its
field men. We are entitled to their
services, and they will be glad to visit
us if we call on them Why not make
use of what we help pay for? These
field men know what is good for what
ails US. Let's call on them.
j. p. Callahan