Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-07
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
". ANDREW NJ.
BY DIR. ANDREW M. SOULE

| will be available to place an agent in
every county in the state.
The terms and provisions Of the
Smith Lever act called for the CIV
ing Of information to farmers and
their families not residing at Agri-
cultural colleges, on subjects pertain
ing to agriculture and home eco
Monies.
There are four principal phases
of the information given on the prod
ucts of the farm and home.
| 1. Production.
2. Conservation.
| 8. Utilization.
| 4. Distribution.
| Production comes first and is Of
prime importance. Without produc-
ton, conservation, utilization and
distribution are not to be considered.
A great portion Of the county
agents time can be we'll spent in
giving information on the improve
ment of the soil, selection Of seed,
better cultivation and fertilization of
, crops, and the Improvement of live
stock and poultry.
The farmer who produced two
| bushels of corn or two bales of cot
| ton with the same energy as his
| neighbor who produces only one
bushel of corn and one bale of cot
| ton, certainly has the advantage.
One does not have to go far to find
| that the farmers who have the larg-
est bank accounts are the ones who
have the most efficient and econom-
ical methods of production. One
third of a bale of cotton per acre,
| fifteen bushels of corn, one-fourth
| ton Of hay and no pasturage will
never make a country prosperous.
Larger production per farm laborer
is necessary.
For the purpose Of distribution Of
crops and livestock, commodity or
| CARNATIONS have sprung up through
| out the state. In the county agents
territory, there are IS cotton organi-
cations, 43 poultry organizations, AZ
sweet potato organizations, "a hog
organizations, 81 peach organiza-
lions, apple organizations, 8 water
melon organizations, Is cane grow
ers' organizations, IA dairying or
CARNATIONS, 20 truck crop organiZa-
tions. Of these the cotton, hogs,
peach, and watermelon each have
definitely organized state organiza-
lions.
County agents assist commodity
organizations, first, in helping to
standardize varieties on a communi-
ty basis; second, improving grades
of crops and livestock, better meth
DDS of production, seed selection and
elimination of diseases, and third,
in perfecting the details Of organi-
cations so that information can be
disseminated and utilized by groups
to greater advantage than by individ-
ual members.
Giving of information is consid
cred teaching. the agents, therefore,
are educators in the counties. In
the language Of the supreme court,
they are "peripatetic teachers going
from farm to farm and from home
to home instructing the people in
all phases of farming and home
making
They hold classes, short courses,
schools of instruction and organize
groups through which information
is disseminated to large numbers.
The agents serve the entire forming
interest of the county. They teach
by means of bulletins, circulars, arti-
cles to papers, lectures and demon
strations. The most important Of
these are demonstrations by which
the subjects are taught by doing.
1t is necessary, quite frequently in
demonstrating for the agent himself
to perform the actual personal serV-
ice in putting his message across.
So long as personal service is rend-
cred for the sake of distributing in
formation and educating the farmers
it is considered legitimate practice.
If the agents services go beyond
this, and he performs services for
the farmer for the sake Of the serv
ice and to accommodate the farmer
he is out of the educational field.
County agents are not permitted
to buy and sell or transact the act
ual bushes of buying and selling for
the farmers. They are, however,
permitted to schedule the demonstra-
ton in cooperative buying and sell
ing where such is Of value and nee
essary to the best farming interest
Of the county. Information can be
given by means of these demonstra-
tons. AS soon as the farmers learn
to handle their business cooperative
ly, the agents duty should cease in
this particular activity.
County agents work with:
(a) Individual farmers.
(b) Groups of farmers.
(c) Boys and girls.
Cd Farm women.
(e) Schools.
(G Public in general.
Great progress will be made