Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-11-16
Here's an Idea.

| Here's an Idea.
The success of the recent drives
for membership in the Farm Bureau
associations suggests cause or rea-
son back of it. Whilst some people
are willing to gamble at any time
and on almost any proposition, the
Yankee" farmer is rather shrewd
person when his own line is struck.
Already thousands of Vermont farm
ers have entered the membership of
the Farm Bureau.
The reason back of the abundant
success of the past months was and
is the loyalty and selflessness of the
Farm Bureau workers.
Several Vermont counties now en-
ploy Farm Bureau agent who tack
les, or attempts it, any and all. Of
the problems common to any farm
er and his farm. A home demonstra-
ton agent looks to the farmers
home and family. A more recent
and valuable addition is the county
club leader, who seeks to help boys
and girls see and prove that the
farm is the best place on earth, both
as a home and occupation. Most
people realize what these workers
are doing for the farming communi-
ties but not all understand how or
when these benefits are wrought out.
A meeting was called last Wednes-
day night at the nearby schoolhouse,
after the word had passed from farm
to farm a good number of the farm
/ ers in District No. 1 loaded their
cars with their families and started
for the school. Three persons were
present to take part in the program.
The agent" as he is called, gave
the farmers some good suggestions
on profitable dairying which 1nclud-
ed a course on the selection of stock,
the care of stock and the all impor-
tant fact of keeping real and accur-
ate accounts of the farm. AS the
agents" talk did not appeal to the
ladies the home demonstration lady
gathered the farmers wives and old
er daughters together and they had
a free-for-all, on such matters as
dress forms, egg circles, home i'm
provements and conveniences and
other kindred subjects. What do
real live boys care about dress forms
and young maidens about selections
of dairy stock or feeds Still they
have interests and must do things,
real things, and the county club lead
er brings a real live person who
knows boys and girls, gets a crowd
of them together. They consider
how to keep chickens, make garden
or MILDLY blouse, and perhaps
plan some real article of useful fur
niture. There is some good fun yet
! it is aiming to get them somewhere.
Phewi It is after eleven o'clock. We
must be getting home. My! When
has an evening gone so quickly?
How delighted was everyone over the
evening spent SO well. Many more
similar evenings were to be enjoyed
! by the farmers families of District
| No. 1.
How about the persons response
| bic for these profitable evenings. If
repetition tends toward success,
these persons were carrying out such
an evenings work several times dur
ing each week. Is this the only
work they do, we ask? Several
hours of each day are spent in the
office, planning and preparing for
these meetings. 1t is well to have
materials and practical suggestions
worked out so that everything will
go with zest. In any live occupa-
ton, each DAYS brings its own pecu-
liar duties. Farms are always pre-
senting problems for someone to
solve. The land needs draining !;
corn tests make abundant crops pos
sible, ropy milk must be traced and
remedied, how can one secure high
testing oats which are more profit
! able? How can the feed and ferti-
lizer bills be reduced? These CUES
tions and many other matters claim
the attention and hours of the Farm
Bureau agent. Yet advice and help
! which solves these, problems is an
go
county.
The feeding and clothing of the
farmers family leads to calls upon
the home demonstration agent to
suggest economies and additional
revenues. Suggestions for canning
vegetables, fruits and meats are of
fered and often practical demon
stration is staged. Then home plan
ming whereby the maximum of con-
venience and comfort is obtained by
the minimum of expense. involves
hours, of work and miles of Journey
for the H. D. A. The hard effort is
forgotten in the pleasure of an at
tractive. convenient farm house.
Such enterprises as egg circles ship-
pino of poultry and butter and hun
dreds of details make UP the daily
tasks of the H. D. A.
The boys and girls of this day,
even though born and raised on the
farm, have developed into individ-
uals. The county club leader teaches
and aids these boys and girls to de-
velop into citizens of the farm By
learning how to do some small pro-
ject thoroughly and plofita bly,, a farm
er's son or daughter is getting fun
damental training for larger enter
prises. In the Boys and Girls Club
work such projects as the care of
calves, pigs, sheep, poultry, gardens
the producing of canned foods. arti-
cles of clothing and handicraft are
undertaken. The aim is to under
stand how to do thoroughly and pro-
i. fitably whatever, project is taken up.
It leads to a system of cooking, sew
ing and cleaning in scientific man
ner. To train hundreds of boys and
girls in these numerous projects
takes largely of the night and day
, of the county club leaders, life.
The efforts of these Farm Bureau
workers are often brought to sue
cessful conclusion in the local, couny,
/ state and national fairs. They have