The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1921-10-20
COUNTY AGENT BIG ASSET.
Prominent Lewis County Farmer
Points Out Advantages and
Need of This Work.

SNtNNSooOl W OOtii1J AASSiAe - -
Behnke and continuing the Farm
Bureau work In Lewis county is
now "before the house," and i'll
the following article j. w. Hen
derson, president of the Farm
Bureau and one of our most pro
gressive and level-headed farm
ers, throws some interesting light
ON the subject in the following
articge.)
In view of the fact that our
county agent has recently re-
signed, and as | have been quite
closely connected with this work
ever since it was started, / would
like to offer a few suggestions i'll
support Of it and review as brief
ly as possible some of the bene-
fits Lewis county farmers have
received.
Several years ago, when Mr.
Wade was first employed as
County farm Agent, tuberculosis
was very prevalent among farm
flocks of poultry. Many flocks
were diseased, some not1ceably
so, and others from. outward ap-
pearances could not be detected.
Well, the County Agent took the
matter up and thousands of
chickens in this county were CIV
en- the T. B. test, and a result
fowls were killed. This was kept
up for a couple of years and con-
Sequentaly tuberculosis in poul-
try in this county was almost
eradicated. Who can measure
the value Of this work?
Then work on smut control
was of great Importance, though
it should have been continued,
but no matter how skeptical some
of the farmers may be, | think
that we will agree that we are
watching time Of seeding and
condition of the soil closer than
ever before, and in time we may
be able to fully control the smut
pest. | heard one farmer say that
it cost him $4,000 by seeding his
wheat just contrary to the Coun-
ty Agents theory.
Later the rodent control work
was taken up and there has been,
thousands Of squirrels poisoned
the last few years where there
were thousands before, and this
campaign has just begun. We can
get free poison to use on Indian
land but it has to come through
the extension department of
the University.
We should keep in mind that
it costs money to feed squirrels.
One project that has been tax
EN- up, [ suppose some farmers
would say is of no value, and it
is not to them if they don't take
advantage of it.
Culling demonstrations have
been given at different places all
over the county, showing how toI
pick out the layers and butcher
the loafers. 1t costs no more t0l
feed a good hen than a scrub
and there has been great in
terest in this project the past
year which is no doubt making
the farmers Of this county hum
dreds of dollars every year.
The tuberculosis test for cattle
was being carried on free by the
County Agent but is temporarily
held up on account of lack of
funds. But it will be continued
soon [ think.
[ suppose the largest saving in
dollars and cents since this work
was started in this county, was
three years ago when we had the
grasshopper pest.
In the fall after the hopper
poisoning campaign of spring
and summer, Mr.. Wade sent out
questionairre to several hun
dred farmers in the county ask
ing their estimate of money saw
ed. When these amounts were
summed up over the signatures
of these farmers, it amounted to
more than a county agent would
cost this county for fifty years.
Now this is not hot air but ali
matter of record. We never
know when thing like that may
come up again, so think it pays
to have a man on the job an be
prepared for any emergency.
A new project has been started
this year which seems to have
great possibilities. Namely :
growing certified seed potatoes.
Nearly all of the great potato
growing districts import their
seed. and they say that this covm-
try is an ideal seed producing
district for potatoes and the de-
mand for certified seed is almost
Several farmers in the county
have taried this project this year