The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-06-15
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OUR COUNTY AGENT


rection" states the principle under
lying the employment of a county
agent by Malheur county. Prob
ably nothing can be said to alter the
beliefs of those who oppose our
having an agricultural adviser, but
in view of the continued opposition
on the part of some of our tax-pay-
ers to same l desire to state, for the
benefit of that portion of the public
which is ignorant of the value aris-
ing from the work, why it is that
the Farm Bureau stands solidly be-
hind the retention of the county
agent.
The retention of this official whom
Mr.. Becker is pleased to call useless
and "a farmer Of the farmers" by
the County Court is primarily due
to the insistence Of the County Farm
Bureau on same. The responsible
ity for the employment rests upon
the latter organization. Our mo-
tive in this is4hat thereby our coun-
ty may obtain the benefit of State
and National assistance which other
wise would be lost. No man of in
telligence inveighs against the ac-
tivities of the National Department
of Agriculture, or bemoans its cost.
The saving which it has made for
the agricultural interests of the
country, thereby adding to the
wealth and prosperity of the nation
is beyond calculation. The work of
the county agent is designed to do
for us in a smaller way what the
is doing nationally.
The space allotted me does not per-
NIT of a recital at this time of what
has been accomplished by the work,
but in the opinion of unbiased OBJ
servers progressive farm methods
and new measures are adopted five
or six years sooner in counties hav-
ing agricultural agents than in coun-
ties where they do not have them.
A striking instance of this is
found in the State of Kansas, where
a wheat developed by the Kansas
station and distributed
in 1918 through county agents. pro-
duced over a period of years an
average of 3.5 bushels per acre. over
any other winter wheat grown. 1t
would seem in view Of the higher
yield obtained that farmers gener-
ally would have changed to the
higher yielding variety. Did they
do so? In thirty-three counties
having county agents in 1919, 1884
farmers adopted and grew the new
wheat, while in fifty-one counties
county agents only 329
farmers grew it.
We have an illustration of the
same thing nearby. Those who are in
in farm matters know what
the development Of Hybid 12S wheat
1t the Pullman Experiment station
has done for the wheat farmers OF
the Northwest in the way of in
creased yields. Over in Union
which has county agent, \
i've carloads of this seed were sown |
last fall; while in Baker County ad-
Joining where they are saving the
salary of county agent none was
,owed so far as can be learned. In
Union county there are more than
L6O silos; there are but few in Ba-
ser county. Sulphur and land
plaster are applied to alfalfa In
Union as a widespread practice,
While in Baker county the applica-
ion is rare.
Other illustrations of the benefits
which follow the employment of
i've county agent could be given.
Z Mr.. Becker and his confreres will
AXE the trouble to inform them
elves as to what is being done by
he county agent and the Farm Blu
eau to improve conditions as they
low exist amongst our farmers they
will find they represent the only
force that is seeking
O improve those conditions.
The Farm Bureau has no quarrel
With Mr.. Becker or anyone else over
he subject of good schools or of
heir teachers being well paid. We
tand for more and better schooling,
Iot less. However, Mr.. Becker's
tatement that the salary Of the
ounty agent comes directly out of
he pockets of the taxpayers of the
ounty is only partially true. In
ne way the county really pays none
Z It whatever. The budget for this
ear and for the years heretofore
as been made up from funds sup
lied from Malheur county, the State
( Oregon. and the u. S. Depart
lent Of Agriculture. The county
as never vet contributed an amount