The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-01-10
SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT
OF COUNTY AGENT ANDERSON

E. w. Anderson, recently made pub
lie and covering such varied field
that a small volume would be called
for properly to report it, shows IN dc
tail the work done by farmers OF
Sheridan county in the past year ami
is attracting favorable and statewide
notice. The report shows that IN
usual conditions have been met in g,
effective manner, and that the work
done this year will in the future con-
tinue to pay big dividends to the sew
en- thousand odd farmers in the coun-
ty whose condition is directly affect
ed by it.
During the past year, following the
suggestion of the department of agrt-
culture, working farm bureau was
established in Sheridan county which
eclipsed all other similar organiza-
tons in Montana in membership, and
which is now in position to render the
work of the county agent Of immense
Nv wider effect in the future than 1t
has in the past. AS shown in the
annual report, the Sheridan County
Bureau now numbers 682 members
combined in Fl community organiza-
lions, but since the report was writ
ten this number has been increased
by about one hundred, according to a
local farm bureau officer. In its eff
forts to wipe out the gopher which
has promised to make farming in
creasingly unsafe, the farm bureau
cooperating with the county agents
office an dthe U. S. Biological Survey
has during the past summer rendered
a service that can be estimated a.
hundreds of thousands of dollars in
it's value to Sheridan county farm
erS.
Nearly ten thousand dollars was
saved to the farmers of the county by
the work of the county agents Office
using the funds provided by the coun-
tv for wholesale preparation and dis
tribution of poisoned oats in this 60
Decentralization campaign, when tht
total cost is compared with what tnt
cost would have been had the farm
ers bought privately and at reta!
prices. Approximately eighty tons o
poisoned oats were scattered over TIVE
and a half million acres Of land, 81
area equal to that of New Englan'
state. This, as the county agen
shows in his report, was only one o
several important projects manage
through his Office during the yea
just closed.
Wide Field of Work
County Agent Anderson was tn
active agent for the Sheridan Count
Farm Bureau in its program Of wor
which included as major projects th
organization Of the Sheridan Count
Farm Bureau, determination of gopE
ers, crop improvement, drouth relic
and boys and girls clubs. Anon
the minor projects handled during tn
wear and covered by the annual n
port were the organization of t.
Northeastern Montana Farmers Aut
iting Association, of federal far
loan associations, survey to dete
mine seed and feed needs in IL
county, and the publication of Il
Farm Bureau News and EXchans
list. The war placed heavy duties {
the county agent and the farm b
reau and during the year they pari
cipated in special campaign to me
the farm labor situation, secu
economy of operation of threshil
machines, encourage food conserv
ton. advising as to exemption fro
military duty Of men needed for fa1
production, and to help in the loo
work for Red Cross, Liberty Loan a
War Saving Stamps in Sherid
county.
Other special work included in t
years program and touched on by t
county agent in his annual report g
silo construction, as a partial res
of which there are now six pit 81
and five of the overhead type in She
dan county; assistance in promote
the use of regular farm account
methods by the farmers; co-opel
ton toward control of plant and a
NAL diseases, in addition to the n
Of other duties that crowd the time
a county agent.
Organize Farm Bureau
1t is easy to deal in superlatives
describing county like Sherid
Not only did this district take
lead in gopher control work, but
farm bureau whose organization '
a part of the major program for
year, ranks at the head OF the tW
ty-odd organizations of this nat
now in existence in Montana.
Sheridan county farm bureau was
ganized in June. Twenty commur