Show 7 I O s t tm ic It i t f Zi I f 11 1 Farmers and Stock Raisers t I I r-f r rr i-i i t t t rf fC t t f f 1 I t t J i l J f f fJ Jt rr vv wv Near Nearly persons largely I successful farmers ar are now aiding the department of ot agriculture by I furnishing Information demonstrating ing hig the local usefulness of new new methods testing out theories Cr we cx and reporting on con conditions condi l- l In their districts dIstricts districts-by by helping fn In short in almost every ery conceivable way to increase The of the tho department and to place that know knowl knowledge edge at the service of ot the people This army of volunteers receives no Ita pay fray from the government go Many 1 of ot these cooperators arc are actuated solely by a wish wash h to be of ot service to their neighbors Others take part In this work because of their own keen Interest Interest interest In In- terest in testing new methods or In trying ou out t for tor themselves es crops I J either new to their own sections or orf f imported from tr l 1 through the d departments department's pa plant ex ex- I It is es estimated tuat teat at least ono one I farm out of ot every twenty is working in s somo e- e wa way with the department I and nud thus has become a center of or advanced ml ad agricultural Information for Cor I Its community In III addition to tile the farmers who work directly with tho the department there are thousands ot of others who render a similar valuable to the scientists and field war work workers workers ers of the State Slate agricultural colleges and experiment stations With such a large largo number of farmers farm ers willing to work with the department depart- depart ment and the colleges and test out recommendations it is clearA clear A g that a significant change has lias taken t place paco from the da day wl when cn the average j farmer was decidedly skeptical about scientific agricultural nc n slow or un unwilling un-I un willing to give gl attention to the recommendations recommendations rec Tec- of what man many used to 1 designate as book hool farmers IThe j I The wide use use made de b by the department de I of or this large number of practical farmers Indicates clearly clearl clearly Of I how mow erroneous w was s the once prevalent prevalent preval preval- ent n Idea that agricultural scientists scientists I held jiem 1 aloof and that the thc I department consisted mainly of or col col- trained lege-trained men who were far Car more at home in their offices or laboratories laborato laborato- ries than on actual farms It is true the scientific agriculturist ma may develop elop ideas in his laboratory but before he lie is read ready to advise ad farmers to adopt them he tries them out in I actual practice on government farms Without such a system the knowl- knowl edg v possessed v by any I n one individual dl id 1 would necessarily be limited to local conditions and it la fly no long longer r local but national and world-wide world condi condl conditions ions that regulate business This fact is occasionally overlooked by persons who are surprised to find tha a short crop iu in their own section sec see section tion may be accompanied by low prices and are arc in la consequence in inclined Inclined inclined In- In to question the accuracy of the government estimates A corresponding service ser is rend rendered ered the tho weather weather- bureau by its corps of observers The reports from sea captains s and mates have already been mentioned In addition there are observers who report temperature temperature temper temperA and rainfall regularly 2770 J I w who to display or disseminate forecasts and warnings and 1300 who report weekly duri during l the time growing crop-growing season season season sea sea- son upon the effect weather of-weather of con con- In its researches and investigations 1 the the department Is also in great mease meas measure measure ure tire dependent upon reports from meas co- co operators Fifteen thousand railroad I station agents for example have been Instructed b by railroad officials to furnish the the- the of ot markets and i rural organization with postcard reports reports reports re re- re- re ports of shipments of perishable crops which arc are used in the market news service of the office This service servIce service ser ser- vIce vice was inaugurated last year to I aid dealers and producers in the economical eco eco- economical and distribution and marketing of ot such crops as stra strawberries ries rles cantaloupes peaches early earh onIons onions onions on on- ions etc Tariffs and other data are rc j also supplied b by the railroads the I cotton exchanges and individual I firms sends quotations samples and other information storage cold-storage plants report monthly on their hold holdIngs holdings holdings ings of apples millers grain dealers chambers of commerce etc furnish the Bureau of Plant Industry with data ata in connection with with the tho the work of grain standardization and I I I 1200 creameries and cheese factories facto ries report to the Bureau of Animal Industry These of course are on onn ly Iy a few instances out of many They serve sene to show however the ways in inI I which the department keeps in touch with practical conditions and andis andis andis is assisted by the same saDIe men whom it is working g to assist I In the tho second class of or cooperators are th the tho thousands of farmers who un under under cooperators der del the supervision of ot count county agents agent r 1 rr rJ r J 1 and specialists I I tr ff fr m the tho departments and the tho agricultural 1 colleges aro are working out on on their own farms the methods recommended by scientific agriculture the bO boys and girls of or orthe the pig poultry corn and canning clubs who are demonstrating the neglected possibilities of profit Iu lit these fields the women who have adopted for Cor their own benefit and as m means of instructing their neighbors neighbors neigh neigh- bors bore Improved methods in house housekeeping housekeeping housekeeping keeping the man many thousands of at members of ot farm bureaus county associations and community clubs nearly leaders in club wor work c for tor community welfare and the state officials who aid in extension work In the distribution of animal serums and vaccine and In other ways nays I This demonstration work is of th the f I utmost importance in the spread ol of sound agriculture It is almost im fm- impossible I possible to name the many forms Corms in which It is being carried on on but on ono on instance of at its effect in Alabama is illuminating A few years ago crimson crimson crim crim- son SOil clover was an unknown crop cropIn cropIn cropIn In that state The department decided decided ed after atter considerable study that th it was one oue of the tho most suitable legumes for the section and determined to introduce it Ten farmers each in 10 counties agreed to plant 1 acre as an experiment Two years later there were acres in crimson clover In Alabama Alabama- The object leson lesson lesson les les- son on had had its effect Another important demonstration in progress at tho the present time is concerned with cultural methods for sugar beets heets In this 1000 farmers are taking part Another thousand in the arid and areas of the tho Great Plains are planting trees to make shelter shelter- belts as recommended by the department de- de de l and are arc making their farms farms farms' I Ia j a meeting place for their neighbors I In the thc cotton belt 80 farmers Carmels are j demonstrating the advantages of superior superior superior su su- varieties and Improved cultural cultural cultural cul cul- tural methods and 50 in South Carolina Carolina Carolina Car Car- olina and Alabama are showing how to breed wilt resistant cotton and andare andare are arc producing for Cor sale seed of varie varie- I ties developed by the department The third way way V in which farmers I are actively cooperating with the department is in the conduct of ex ex- These are as varied as the time demonstrations One man for example reports regularly on on his 1 progress in breeding ostriches while I more than are growing the them J plants which the department introduces intro intro- duces daces from foreign countries Sixty farmers are now IlOW furnishing the landa land a lI lIr r S Sand and labor for ln corn Im Improvement I hn-I provement 30 and area r a the le tobacco to- to to-j to o i bacco work of the Hie department m same way Seed corn torn furnished b by bythe bythe the department Is being tested by hy farmers who to n a certain extent are arc also de demonstrating the time varieties they test Without the assistance which it receives re In la these and similar ways the department could not do the the work it does docs Tho The fact tact that hundreds of oC thousands of oC practical farmers ani and business men find it worth their while to devote time to the departments department's depart lepart- departments department's ments ment's undertakings indicates that thai they believe belle them vital to their own affairs |