Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-11

! established under the land grant &C
of 1852. Then, in accordance will
memorandum of agreement pre-
pared by the secretary of agricul
! lures office each community is eX
pected to pay one-half of the salary
of the agents employed therein.
In the beginning, the funds FOL
this work were often subscribed by
individuals, corporations, boards OF
trade and chambers of commerce
congress to the receipt of FUNDS
from these sources, and it was ad
vised that funds for the endow.
ment of county agents work mus
be provided through appropriations
made by county commissioners
boards of education, or the farm bu-
reau. AS a result of this action by
the congress many communities un-
dertook to pay their proportionate
share of the salaries of their county
agents with funds set aside by the
board of education or appropria-
sioners. The work has been largely
maintained on this basis for perioC
of ten years, and there has been nc
serious question about the legality
of the fund thus used raised until
recently. In view of the long time
in which the work has been in prog
ress and the fact that the county
tive in a given community, that he
is an itinerant teacher in the strict
est sense of the word, and that he
functions largely through the public
school system, there does not seem
t ODE any reason why he should not
indicated. 1 only point thee facts
out for the consideration of those
who are primarily interested, be-
cause If there is any question about
the payment of the agents salary
in the manner which has been prac-
ticed so extensively in Georgia for
such a considerable period of time
the law should be amended and the
matter definitely and finally adjust
ed. There is entirely too much az
stake for issues to be continually
raised over a matter of such grave
import and concern to the welfare
of the community.
In this connection let us consider
for moment some of the objects OF
the county agents work. l shall eX-
press these as succ1nctly as posi-
BILE. First, he may undertake. and
conduct farm surveys, the idea being
to ascertain the method OF practice
followed on the farm, to discover
the weak links in the chain, and to
stop the leaks which are occurring.
Sometimes the farm is so poorly or
ganized from financial and admin
istrative point of view that it is on
the highroad to bankruptcy. This
condition can frequently be corrected
through the making of farm sur
vey. 1 might say in passing that
this is practically, new phase OF
agricultural development work IN
Georgia and has been primarily inst1-
tuted through the activities of the
county agent.
. The county agent also conducts
demonstrations on individual farms
with all field crops, and the garden
and orchard crops as well. The OBJ
ject of this work is to take a selected
area Of land and show that by in
stituting different methods Of prac-
tilizer,. and selecting seed, greatly
increased yields can be secured at a
substantial lowering Of the cost of
production. Could anything be more
worth while or of more fundamen-
tai character to the welfare Of our
agriculture?
The county agent also promotes
the prime mover in the organization
and development of the dairy, pig,
poultry, calf and colt clubs scattered
throughout the length and breadth
of the state. There were probably
10000 boys enrolled in these organi-
ZallOnS IdSI year. IN many Gull
munities they had never raised colts
until the agent came. They had no
improved cattle or hogs. The dairy
industry was an unknown quantity.
Now Georgia has risen to sixth place
as hog raising. state, and the quail
ity of our swine has been largely
transformed. If someone were to
write this story up in its true set
ting and picture the changes which
have taken place in sedate and sober
language it would still read like a
fairy tale. The fact that Georgia S
animal wealth practically doubled in
value in a few years shows that
some agency was at work besides the
mere rise in prices to bring about
the developments which have taken
place.
The agent also undertakes to en-
courage all sorts of local organiza-
tons and helps 1form local units for
the borrowing of money through the
agency of the land banks. He or
ganizes drainage enterprises, he en-
courages the establishment of farm
ers' clubs, the formation of cooper
alive organizations for the market
ing of crops of every kind and de-
scription, the establishment of cheese
factories, the building of meat cur
ing houses and tobacco and potato
storage warehouses. He gives adj
vice 0DOuL lH0 VdIlell6S VI COlIOl "
plant so that a staple fiber may be
grown. He is active in building up
all the worthwhile enterprises of
the rural community with which he
is associated. Is this not construc-
tive work of the very highest and
most beneficial type, and should it
not be supported without question as
generously as the requirements of
the situation may necessitate?
The county agent regards the
school as his strong right arm in
carrying forward the club work. He
is helping to build up a new type
of citizenship through the school
that will at least have some general
understanding of the principles in
volved in the growth and develop
ment of plants and the relation of
soils and fertilizers thereto. Our in
struction in agriculture in the public
schools has been a miserable failure
in the past, but the club work has
demonstrated that it can be made
an asset of tremendous proportions
and a means of stimulating and