Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1922-12-28
Is COUNTY AGENT WORK A
LUXURY IN BOUNDARY COUNTY?

yet in the past year the saving to the
people Of Boundary county on a single
car of picric acid, based on the rela-
tive cost and efficiency of this ex-
plosive and stumping powders, ex-
ceeded the county appropriation for
county agent work for the year 1922
by S432 This does not take into con-
sideration the value of stimulation in
land clearing or the economical value
Of the lands so cleared, for produc-
ton.
Dozens of farmers Of Boundary
county We're benefited the past year
by the county agent in the assistance
he gave in controlling the grasshop-
per pest and the squirrel pest. Others
profited through his assistance in
poultry matters, in seed potato pro-
duction, etc.
County agent work is financed
through a cooperative agreement of
the United States department of agri-
culture, the university of Idaho ex-
tension division and the local board
of county commissioners, as provided
by the Smith-Lever act, whereby the
United States department of agricul-
ture and the University of Idaho each
appropriates $500 and the board of
county commissioners lin the in
stance of Boundary county, appropri-
ates $4,000 toward the salary and ex-
penses of the county agent.
The county pays its part of the
state appropriation for county extern
sion work both toward the salary of
the county agent and the salary and
" nf p%fanCinn 1icf- c1af !,
as Mr.. Moore and Mr.. Bennett,
whether it gets this service or not. In
counties not having a county agent,
the help received from specialists iii
any at alb is very limited
The demand for extension work ex-
! ceeds the available funds for this
work in this state. Two or three
counties in this state discontinued
county extension agent work during
the year 1921 The Smith-Lever funds
that were to have been theirs were
Immediately transferrd to counties
which were waiting for these funds.
Boundary county was one to which
/ transfer was made. Later these coun-
ties asked for county agent work,
which requests could not be granted
during this biennial
4 Other counties in Idaho in previous
years have discontinued county agent
work for economical reasons The
same action has been taken by coun-
/ ties in other states But in most of
these counties it has been realized
that a mistake was made and that
4 false economy had been practiced in
doing away with county agent work.
Just recently county in middle
west state decided that the appropria-
1 tion for county agent work could be
used to better advantage in some 9th
er channel Of assistance to the farmer
The fact that county agent work had
been discontinued in that county was
soon spread broadcast, neighboring
newspapers publishing the news and
lamenting that the county had taken
a step backward and as result a
number of settlers who had planned
locating in the county. went else
where. It was clearly demonstrated
that the new settler in any community
values the assistance the county agent
can and does give.
In Idaho, most of the counties which
discontinued county agent work last
year on account of finances, have
seen their mistake and have yolun-
tarily applied to the state extension
department for assistance.
Boundary county should not take
hasty action. No backward steI
should be taken now that will dc
harm for several years to come. Every
help and all available assistance
should be placed at the disposal of the
farmers and especially the newcomers
and those who contemplate locating III
the county.