Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-01-15
Director Bliss Reviews Work Of
Agreculturists i'm Supplying Food
MUCH ACCOMPLISHED THRU
BUREAUS AND AGENTS
Grain Yields and Live Stock PrOduc-
taen Greatly Incsieased-Boys
and Girls Lend Their Aid
Thru Club WOrh

AmeS. la.-Iiow Iowa farmers
helped win the war is told in the re-
port of Director r. K Bliss, of the
agricultural extension department of
Iowa State College submitted to
President r. A. Pearson, of the col
lege. The report, which is an outline
of the work accomplished, covers the
period from July 1, 1917, to June
80, 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 bur-
eau, one had two, and all except one
had county agent, man for this
county being appointed soon after
the end of the period.
| Thirty-five thousand farmers
Joined farm bureaus and have sup
ported them with annual cash pay
ments. Due to this support, extention
work in this state with one excep-
tion, gets less state support than in
any other state in the union. The re-
port says there is some doubt as to
whether or not to keep the organi-
Zation after the war emergency sup
portSis withdrawn.
Grain production in the state was
increased 25 per cent, the staple
grains increasing in the year 143, :
00o coo bushels. BY way OF eompari-
son, 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 repre-
scented an increase Of 1 100000
bushels of grain for every day in the
crop growing season. $50
Live Stock Increased.
Live stock took jump in numbers
sheep increasing $4,000 in number,
cattle 167 900, and hogs 937 900
over last years number.
Garden and truck crops have re-
ceived an inestimable increase, due
to war gardens. The state knows the
enormous increase in this line, To
give proper publicity, and to dis
tribute information in order to in
creased production to such an extent,
over three and half million book
lets, bulletins, circulars and cards
were distributed among farmers of
the state.
Specialists in the extension depart
ment during the year, along with
local club leaders, delivered 1853
lectures, conducted 4,973 demonstra-
tions, judged $40 exhibits, coming in
to contact with 100000 people. In
other, words, for every working day
in the year, thirty-two lectures were
given, sixteen demonstrations con-
Quoted, three exhibits judged and
2,0G0 people reached County agents
during the year received over 130,-
900 calls 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 10000 boys and girls of the
stale were interested in club work in
cluding gardens. corn growing, baby
beef and pig feeding, canning, food
preparation, garment making and
poultry clubs.
Iy. Dc ful
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
successful. Conservation of food re-
ceived full share OF the work, not
only human food, but also food for
live stock. Demonstrations for spray
ing, orchard care, farm management,
stock feeding, dairy production, but
ter and cheese manufacture, market
ing farm products, farm business
records, and controlling animal dis
eases, were conducted. aekE|
In all the farmers did their WORK
by Increased production, for each
man, as is'shown by the fact that in
the neighborhood of 10000 men left
the farms for war service, and very
few in proportion were taken onto
farms to help out with the work,
ss .,--7------- o ------------
What girl wouldn't rather be the
wife of a brave hero Of the. world
war than remain an old maid on a