Smyrna times., 1940-01-04
COUNTY AGENT
MAKES REPORT
Many Changes in Conducting
Agricultural Extension Work
Shown in Annual Report
FEDERAL PROJECTS

MANY VI lu6 CudHSSS WHICH nave
occurred in the methods Of con
Quoting agricultural extension
work in Kent county as the result
of the various federal programs
which have been allocated to the
extension service are included il
the 1889 annual report of County
Agent Russell E. Wilson which has
been prepared for the University
of Delaware and the United States
Department Of Agriculture. One
of these major changes came in the
late summer of 1888 when the
wheat acreage control program OF
the Agricultural Adjustment Ad-
ministration was allocated to the
state extension service. In recent
years several other federal projects
have been added to the extension
program with the result that a con
siderable amount of the work of
county agents during the past six
years has been directed along lines
decidedly different from those
which were included in the agricul-
tural extension programs previous
to 1888. In connection with these
federal programs due considera-
tion has been given to the adjust
ment of crop acreage and the ball
ancing Of poduction in accordance
with the domestic and world mar
kets, and assisting farmers to ap-
ply these recommendations to their
own individual farms in terms of
the national agricultural situation
From the time the agricultural
conservation progra m started in
1886 the extension service has as
sisted with the educational work,
and during the past year "a meet
ings were held in Kent county with
a total attendance of 1910 farm
ers. S205, ,214.O0 have been paid in
benefit payments to farmers for
following certain recommended
sol-building practices in 1888, and
Sol, 1900 in wheat price adjust
ment payments have been issued in
connection with the wheat acreage
reduction and allotment program
for 1889. That wheat growers in
Kent county are taking more inter-
est in crop insurance offered by the
Federal Crop Insurance Corpora
ton is indicated by the increase in
the number of policies issued in
this county in 1889 as compared to
the previous year. There were
274 applications issued on 233
farms for 1910 wheat crop insur-
ance with premiums amounting to
50 3,O48.00, while the 1888 program
included only SO applications repre-
senting 81 farms. In the field of
agricultural credit the county
agent cooperated with the Farm
Credit Administration and Farm
SecurityAdministration in assisting
farmers to obtain financial aid for
crop production and the purchasing
and refinancing of farms. Cooper !
alton was extended also to the
rural Electrification Administra-
ton in its program of making cleo !
Lrlc current available to several |
farm families. With refer
ence to extension projects atten-
non was given to poultry cost ac-
counts, farm flock and hatchery |
Improvement program, establish
ng demonstration farms and CO.
operating with the State Board of |!
agriculture in the eradication of |
oullorum disease, in addition to or
sanlzing dairy herd improvement |
association, directing tomato cost
u production and fertilization dem
'nstrations, and distributing spray /
notes to orchardists and grape /
growers. All of these activities re-
suited in the county agent receiv-
ng 8,102 Office and 1899 telephone |
;alls, in addition to mailing 2,518 |
personal letters and 26,938 copies
y circular letters, visiting 287
arms and attending 100 meetings
n connection with the extension
work during the past wear.