The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-01-12
DEMONSTRATION
AGENT NEEDED
Achievements and Services in the
Pxst are Rsllable Index of the
Futurs Usefulness of This
Officer

Y
ms FOR the services or a county agent
right along for information about
this. that and the other things, and
that the lack OF county agent liz
being seriously felt by those who
have hog cholera and cattle diseases
20 contend with. Hog cholera Is do
M tnoussnds of dollars damage right
now.
Ths Chamber OF Commerce has
bsen In the best possible position for
the past seven years to see what a
county agent ras been doing for the
farmeyr OF Sumter county becau se
ehousands OF phone messages have
been received in that time at Cham
. oer OF Commerce for the services OF
the county agents Practically every
farmer, who had cholera among his
he9s or some disease among his cat
~ phened tho Chamber Of Com
nnsrce OF called there looking for the
county agent. Hundreds Of farmers
ealltd ut Chamber OF Commerce to
leave mesmgcs for the county agent
% see fArmsrs about spraying Of fruit
trves pruning OF fruit trees. grape
vinea und for othor assistance and
(uformation. Ewery farmer who
wuntsd TO ship hogs in cooperative
car load lots sot into touch with the
county agent through the Chamber
Of Commerce. Secretary Reardon says
that 4 can be easily demonstrated
that the number Of hogs and cattle
anntaily saved to the farmers by the
county aSent going promptly and in
oculating hogs and cattle or immedi-
sssiy NETTING expe't and professional
nssisfnnce in cattle diseases amounted
. much more than the salary an
nually received by the county agent.
The sumter Chamber OF Commerce
hos furuished once room ana desk,
and t<SnoGra phers services to cooper
ate wan County agent j. r. Will
Hams. and thousands Of letters are
or have annually been mailed out for
him. Mr.. Williams on the other
hand he heartily coopernted with the
Sumter Chamber OF Commerce In
many wayw1that repaid that organ
tsatfou ana the business concerns OF
bumt<s for what the Chamber aid
70 htlp the county agent A very
satisfactory and profitable, to both
sldcz. cooperation has been going on
and to the advantage OF the farmers
and the business men also.
Speaking OF the importance of a
county agent now that cotton acreage
will be reduced from one third to
nifty per cent. and corn, oats, sweet
potatoes. hogs. etc. substituted for
cotton. Secretary Reardon says that
The only counties that have success
fully solved the cooperative market
ing proposition are those where the
counties had county agents organic
Ing the Farmers and the business men
for business-lixe marketing. We will
need systematic organization In mar
keting OF small grain. hogs. potatoes.
We VIII need sweet potato storage
houses. we. viii need some one to
fnstrucr farmers about what kind OF
potatoes TO plant. how to put UP
corn, oats, et,., In merchantable and
marketable shape. We will need an
expert to gell the farmers a great
many things about liberalization OF
0eid crops.
a great deal of the future county
agents work In South Carolina will be
In organising marketing facilities.
While II In true that the marketing
end OF agriculture liz largely the bust
ness mans end Of tho proposition,
nevertheless the business men must
know whether their Is sufficient
small grain. hogs. potatoes. cts. to
warrant him in putting his money In
n business proposition. There Ia
where the county agent comes In. He
not only induces the planting OF the
corn. oats, Potatoes. etc. but ne goes
goes around and helps the farmers In
setting products In shape Tor market.
That Will be an important part OF
his duties from now on while we are
changing our methods OF farming.
There is said to be an epidemic of
hog cholera now in Sumter county,
or at least a very serious outbreak OF
cholera bordering on an epidemic.
Sumter county will not produce
enough hogs 10 feed this county or
for marketing IL hog chole.a is per-
mitted To continue unchecked. When
Nh Williams came to Sumter coun-
~ ten years ago there were very few
thorough bred hogs In this county.
Now practically every farmer has
some thoroughbred hogs. The or
snnination of the boys pig and corn
clubs caused big increase In the
yield per acre OF corn and pork.
When Mr.. Villains came to Sumter
county the fruit industry was dead. He
showed how To spray and prune. and
save fruit trees, and ne has caused
thousands OF bushels OF peaches TO be
produced, and thousands OF pounds
OF grapes also. The farmers and
many city ucople today have Drof,-
table orcards as result OF his edu-
cation OF the masses and OF his work
In this particular line.
There are many intelligent and
successful farmers who are good bus
mess men who do not think they
need "a county agents advice or as
sistance. and perhaps they don't
sut experience has demonstrates
that there are hundreds of smaller
farmers. less experienced, and not o.