Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25

that radio ana fetch IN
y some kindlin'. you'n think
| it's Hades. Git.'
Uncle Sam smiled as he peeked
| through the window. 1t was the
same story everywhere. He had been
| counting radio antennae on farm
| houses. When he got to Maryland
| and Virginia. he took off his coat
hiked up his striped trousers and
proceeded to fill couple of .note-
| books. This is what he found:
Your true genus radio bug" is a
| Maryland product. Back in 1920
when people scoffed at the idea of
farmers picking agriculture reports
| out of the air, three Maryland boys
| demonstrated that it. could be done.
These young men-Roger Clipp, Ro-
| land Lynn and S. w. Piper of Hagers-
town-received the daily agriculture
dispatches broadcast from the Wash
| ington radio station of the Bureau of
Standards. and furnished the news to
| several hundred farmers in their i'm
mediate territory.
From that small beginning there
has been built up a nation wide agri-
cultural broadcRsting service that
brings daily market and crop news to
upward of 100000 farmers a few
minutes after the news is available.
Whereas formerly they had to wait
days, and in some parts of the country
weeks, for reports on market condi-
tions. they now get the news while
It Is hot Hundreds OF letters in the
| file Of the Department of Agriculture
at Washington tell of thousands of
dollars saved or additional profits
made through having prompt market
| advices.
The broadcast service from the Blu
reau of Standards was purely an ex-
| pertinent. Radio telephony had not
yet been perfected, and 1t was neces-
sary to rely upon amateur radio opera
| tons for reception of the radio tele-
graph reports and their delivery to
| local farmers. A 200-mile radius of
| Washington was covered by the
| broadcasts. Tests for accuracy in re-
ception were made, and the three
| Hagerstown boys demonstrated that
| radio could be depended upon in get
| ting the agricultural news to farm
ers.
Encoura ged by the work OF these
boys, the Department of Agriculture
extended its broadcast service across
the country, using the radio stations
of the Air Mail Service. Thousands
of amateur operators were soon en-
rolled in the volunteer service, and
for the first time it was possible for
farmers in all parts of the country to
get market dispatches the same day
that business was transacted on the
various leading markets.
Radio telephony was then. perfect
ed, and the department was soon hav-
ing its reports flashed on regular
schedule from upward of rs private
and public broadcasting stations.
* X X x
THIS broadcast service now covers
the entire country, and has made
possible considerable improvement in
, marketing methods. A recent survey
made by the Department of Agricul-
| ture showed that there are now ap-
| proximately 10000 radio receiving
| sets on farms, ranging in cost from a
| few dollars to over $500 each. This is
| more than twice the number of sets
on farms year ago, and it is pre-
1 dicted that another year will see
nearly 100000 sets in use This pre-
! diction is based upon the fact that at
| the recent national radio conference
at Washington the paramount note
| was the value of radio to rural peo-
| pie, as an economic, educational and
amusement agency.
Many Maryland counties run far
above the average for the country in
| the number of sets in use on farms.
| Approximately 5000 Virginia farms
| have radio equipment A quick count
| in Montgomery County, Md, showed
| 2S5 sets on farms; Hartford County,
| 225 sets: Washington County, 200
| sets, and Dorchester County, $50 sets.
Only rs sets were reported in Balti-
more County, due to the fact, that the
| farmers in this locality are suffi-
| GENTLY near to Baltimore to receive
| their entertainment and news first
| hand.
County Agent S. r. Newell of CAL
vert County reported that many farm
ers there are using radio because it
| brings them in touch with current
| events. He proposed the establish
ment of a university of the air"
| which would broadcast talks of para
mount interest in specific localities;
| for example, a series of talks on to-
| bacco and marketing conditions in a
| tobacco-growing section; dairying in
I a dairy section, and SO on.
| The best method of bringing the
use of radio to the attention of farm
ers, he said, Is to Advertise the ma
| terial to be broadcast in such man
ner that farmers will know the bene-
| fits to be derived. Institute a regu-
| lar course or series of lectures to be
| sent out at definite tina on certain
| nights. The next problem Is to show
| farmers that radio is not complicated
| and not expensive to maintain" :.
County Agent 3. B. Derrick OF