Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-04-02
Editorial.

We note with pleasure the interest
which Is being taken in Farm Bureau
work in different parts of the County.
Last Monday the community of Delhi
Township Rural School District held
meeting at which the County Agent
demonstrated the testing Of soils and
explained the causes of sour soils,
and what the general plan would be
in the future for securing limestone
in the County. Much interest was evil
denced from the demonstration and
also in the use of limestone in that
district.
A Community Club was organized
to continue the work of the community
and study local problems. There were
about twenty-four farmers present and
they all seemed interested in the COM
munity enterprise The following
officers were elected: VIM. Schnit-
tier, Chairman; John Nieman, Vice
Chairman; w. J. Kurth, Secretary;
Program Committee to be appointed by
the Chairman. It was voted that the
school teachers of these two schools
representing this district, should be
included in the program committee to
assist in future work.
We note with interest this friendly
cooperation, in that it will mean much
1890 81 <ho fov,,iliac ~ tho COron,,nitv
as the Community Club is made to in
clude all members of the family We
expect the Delhi Township Commun-
ity Club to develop the community
spirit to large degree In that sec
ton.
Chas. Swindell Of Masonville called
at the County Agents Office and re-
ported that he has just finished q
test of four hundred ears OF corn, re-
presenting different varieties. The
early picked Reds corn tested one
hundred per cent. Several varieties
of early picked tested strong. also
several that were picked late.
Peter Schuster Of North Fork has
finished testing several bushels and re-
ports that the early corn is in good
condition while the corn picked late
shows some weak kernels. This has
also been the experience Of VIM. Nc
Cusker of Ryan who has tested sew
eral hundred ears. We call attention
to these tests for the farmers in ord
er that they may not plant inferior
corn.
J. w. Coverdale, state county agent
leader in Iowa since 1912, has resigned
his position with the agricultural ex-
tension department Of Iowa State Col
lege to become secretary OF the Iowa
Farm Bureau federation representing
Al 900 organized Iowa farmers. He
will probably be succeeded by MiIl
Mcdonald, assistant state leader.
Mr.. Coverdale will take charge II
the work at once and will ''stsblisf
temporary offices in Ames. Later the
office will probably be moved to Des
Moines. !,
The Iowa Farm Bureau federation
was organized at Marshalltown Dec.
q, 1918, by representatives from sew
enty county farm bureaus. J. R. How
ard OF Marshall county was elected
president. The purpose of the org
anization is to bring the farmer mem
bers Of various county farm bureaus
closer together for promoting farm
ing interests.
When the first county farm bureau
was organized in Iowa in 1912, Mr..
Coverdale, then Clinton county farm
er, was one OF the directors. He was
reared on farm and after graduating
from the Iowa State college in 1904,
he spent eight years as breeder OF
pure-bred Angus cattle Poland China
hogs and Shropshire sheep.
In 1912, when the county agent work
in Iowa began to get under way, Cow
erdale was brought to Ames and put
in charge Of the work for the state.
Under his leadership. Iowa forged
ahead and was the first northern state
to have a county agent in every county
and the first in America to have
farm bureau in every county.