Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1925-06-11
FARM DEMONSTRATION WORK SHOWS
PROGRESS In WATAUGA COUNTY
A Glance at Its Scope and Usefulness
By John B. Steele, County Dem
onstration Agent

I'd Agriculture is the fundamental in
dustry in the United States, but in
Watauga county this is especially
nor many of the qualifications nee
essary to develop such industries ex-
cept an almost unlimited supply of
water power. While Watauga has
been depending for many years on
!. its agricultural development for it's
wealth very little progress was made
until recent years because of made
quate transportation facilities. The
roads were rocks, narrow and long
and railway connection seemingly i'm
possible.
The development of the agricultu-
raj resources of the United States
was not undertaken in any sort of
systematic way until recent years.
True there was a department of Ag-
riculture at Washington with a small
experiment station that ever so Of
ten would publish a bulletin which
was sent to those whose names ap-
peared on their mailing list but the
bulletins were seldom if ever read
by farmers themselves 1t was not
until the boil weevil was striking
Texas and the farmers became alar-
med and appealed to the U. S. gov
ernment for help, that definite thot
was given as to how the farmers of
that section could be saved from
what appeared to be their ruin.
DR.. S. A. Knapp, who was work.
irg with the Department of Agricul-
ture doing cotton work in Texas,
a few individual farmers to show,
,etr o+o J,x,o,o,f,oI e.
ming would bring the farmers more
money than they could possibly get
from an attempt to grow cotton a
lone. 1t was DR. Knapp's long-cher-
ished idea that the object lesson was
the best method of teaching the aver
age persn.
In 1910 an appropriation bill was
passed definitely setting aside for
the study and demonstration of the
best methods of meeting the ravages
of the Mexican boil weevil. The ap-
preparation for the following two
years was made in the same language
although the amount of the Depart
ment's funds was increased each year
it was not until 1913 that the wording
of the bill, under strict interpreta-
ton, was made broad enough to al
low the money given by congress to
be used for the promotion of all
lines. of farming.
The increased financial support for
cooperative demonstration or ex-
tension work is an index as to the
need and favor with which this work
is received. In 1904 $27,316.O0 was
appropriated which amount was in
creased to $6,316,97 by 1921.
A striking feature of the increase
is the support that came from local
or county appropriations. In 1907
$2,SOO.OO came from this source
which increased to $1,050,621.00 by
1921.
The Cooperative Extension work
in North Carolina is in direct charge
of l. 0. Schaub as director who is re-
sponsibe for the state college. of
Agriculture and the U. S. Depart
ment of Agriculture for the work of
the organization. The Assistant Di
rector Mr.. James Grey, is directly
in charge of the county agent ver-l
The state is divided into five dis
ticts according to physical, soil and
district composed on 19 counties,
from Allegheny to Cherokee, is su-
pervised by Mr.. John W. Goldman
with headquarters at Asheville. The
soil in this territory is fertile and
productive, the rainfall usually plen-
tiful, and the season short and cool.
These conditions are indicative of a
section suited to live stock; poultry