The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-29
County Agents Praised in Study
Compiled by State College.
Brought Gains Of 80 Bushels an
Acre for Potato Crop.
ALSO BENEFIT TO DAIRYING
Increase in Number of Milk
Producing Herds Great.
Nearly Every Grain Crop Was
Aided by the Agents.

Manhattan. Kan. April 29.-Some
things that county agents of Kansas
actually have accomplished in dollars
and cents appear in a statistical study
compiled recently from the biennial
reports Of the Kansas state board of
agriculture Karl Knaus and 4 F.
Turner. county agent leaders, COM
piled the data
Against such assertions as zone
pound OF butter pays ones farm bu-
reau tax a year" knaus and turner
have placed figures showing that
while two coun-ies. without agents,
lost twelve TO fifteen bushels of po-
tatoes per acre in yields from 1917
10 1920. an adjoining county with an
agent gained fifteen bushels. making
"A thirty-busheI advantage for the or
Eanized county. At SIS cents per bush
a for the crop. the income OF the CT
Eanized county was increased $4,000.
Shows In Dairying.
Increase in the number of milk pro-
ducing herds is based on a compari-
son of the number or cream sep
arators in the various counties. Clark,
Mead. Mcpherson and Cloud coun-
ties. with agents as compared 10
Kiowa. Seward. Ottawa and Saline,
without agents, show that from ~
10 1920 the organized county gained
more than twice as fast as the UNI
organized one. Russell, Stafford and
Barber. without agents. made an aN-
erage gain OF 1872 per cent in number
OF dairy herds. while the organized
counties of Barton and Pratt, situated
between. gained 57.4 per cent.
Interesting facts are also revealed
in the matter of wheat production
Prior 20 the organization of farm
bureau. Republic county raised 4
bushel per acre more wheat than
Cloud. Since the organization of
bureau and the institution of a wheat
production campo gn in Cloud county
in 1917. Cloud has outyielded Re
public by about one bushel per acre.
making an advantage of IA bushels
per acre over Republic. In 1920 Cloud
had 10000 acres in wheat and there
fore raised $4,000 bushels more
wheat than she would have done had
county agent work not been estab-
nshed.
More Gain I'm Wheat.
Comparing the four organized coun-
ties OF Clay. jackson. Morris and Mar
shall, with the four unorgapized coun-
ties of Riley, Pottawatomie, Geary
and Wabaunsee. it is found that from
1919 TO 1921 the four organized show
n gain per acre of IL bushels over the
preceding two years The morgan
lied counties in this period gained but
IL bushels. This gives to the organ
szed county an average of 1872, 600
bushels more wheat a year, without
an increase of acres. A similar
compa rfSon shows Cheyenne and
600 bushels over Decatur, Thomas.
Sherman and Sheridan counties.
Likewise taking the three year
period prior TO, and the three year
period following the organization of a
farm bureau in Barton and Pratt
counties. and comparing them to Rus
sell. Stafford and Barton, not organ
lied IL is seen that the three unor-
canized counties lost s. bushels of
wheat from 1918 to 1921 while the
two organized counties gained =
bushel during the same period. This
makes the advantage in favor OF the
organized county nearly one bushel
per acre
Work Valued at S2,2O7 $500.
Thus. since the total acreage of
wheat in the two counties from 1918
10 1920 was 1.415.269. the total in
crease OF wheat produced was 1.415.-
z6s bushels Figuring the average
price from 1913 to 1921 to be 1885,
the value OF the crop due to extern
sion work and county agent work is
placed at S2.2O7.S19.64.
The influence of the county agent
in controlling hog cholera is also con-
sldered- In Riley and Geary- coun-
ties the loss averaged 2.65 per cent
while in Marshall and Norris coun-
ties with their farm bureau and or
gained control measures the loss was
cut down to Sc per cent. Equally
great variation is shown by compar-
ing the losses in Marshall. Usage
Jewell MCPHERSON. Reno. Kingman
Fawnee. Pratt and Ford counties with
those in the uuorganized counties sur
rounding them.