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About The Bend bulletin. (Bend, Or.) 1903-1931 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 1916)
7r:'.,l-TjJ'W'i-i'.'iHiiiw','TT3SSTs:'j Tim nnxn uum,kti, m:ni, ouk., wkhxisday, august, 2 tnio. I'Aarc n. The County Agent Movement (O. A C. Extension Bulletin.) The county agent movement, which was Introduced In the North as re cently as 1911, In New York Btato has now (May, 1916) spread Into" nil the thirty-three northern and wes tern states. C. II. Smith, of the- U. S. Department of Agriculture says, In commenting on the growth of the work, "On July 1, 1912, there were three County Agents In tho whole North and West. A year later thero were HO; on July 1, 19H, thero I wnn "3A nml nnw IVnvomlmr 1H1K1 there arc 383." Including tho southern stntcs, whero the movement originated, thqro are at present In the United States, moro than 1100 county ngentB. Tho County Agont move ment Is na f tic n wide. It Is tupperted by Fcd nnl appropriation iiiitIorized by the ikij ago of tic f.o-0-iiled Smlth-l.ovor Vt i I'M.croiK, lfH Practically very stato In tho Union has enacted legislation providing state funds to oupptement the Federal Smith-Lever funds. The County Agent movement has tho endorsement and BUpport of tho Vn'ted States Department of, Agri culture, every agricultural college In the United Stntcs, tho National Orange, the leading farm journals of this and other states, and thousands of Influential farmers who are famil iar with Its nnturo and purposes and what It has done and Is doing for the betterment of farm conditions. The Oregon Invt The law providing for County .Agent work In Oregon Is found in Chapter 110 of. tho Session Laws of 1913. Under 'this act counties with nil area of less than 5,000 Rqunro miles may appropriate up to $2,000 per year and lnrger counties up to twice that amount for tho work. The law places tho mi) orvlslon of tho work under tho Oregon Agricultural Coi'cye. Wlij County ArcM Work Started. County Agent work was started In the United States for throo Import ant reasons: (1) A vast fund of agricultural Information, assembled nt nu enor mous cost to our Federal Govern ment and our sovnrnl states, hn3 not ibeon modo uso of by a satisfactory lumber of people on tho farm. Tho ireaent assistant Secrotory of Agrl- ulturc, Hon. Carl Vrooman, Is nu- horlty for the statement that tho nformatlon nssembled has cost tho atloti 250 million dollars. This slt atlcn hns been compnrcd with that f a great manufacturing concern hose warehouses nro full to ovor- wlng but whoso selling and dis uniting facilities nro so inndoqunto at tho product cannot be plnccd In e hands of tho consumer. Tho ng- ultural bulletin, instltuto lecturo, farm papor article, tho State nonstrntlon farm, all theso and cr agencies have played and aro ylng their part; but oxperlcnco taught thnt tho oculnr demoli tion on tlfo farmer's own farm, of Improved variety, tho hotter hod of culture, or tho standard ket grndo, etc., Is the most effec- tt'fe agency for bringing about tho j? tile spread adoption of better meth- So, wttllo experiment station bulletins may have announced the evelonmcnt of an Imnroved strain MjQvheat, It Is tho actual domonstra- or us morn on ion or twenty g within a county, that brings .it Its general uso, with a resul- Increase In tho total cereal pro Ion of tho county that may far ed In valuo the cost of tho doni rator. 2) Again, In every community e may ho found side by sltlo on Inlng farms tho man who has ed a problem nnd tho nun who pending time, labor nnd money to k out Independently a solution of irsame prohlom. Kvory nelghbor- nas us inriner wuo is omnium- Bj7uccen8ful In somo particular lino. ilis master of tho sclenco and skill- tin the art of his specialty, and her professor nor experimenter id 'mprovo upon his practical Hut ho is busy, having nolth- Hie time nor the feeling that ho (CMKMth uignlllea propriety auviso refeen of his own success. Ills JuBwedgo, therefore, falls to find nwilwy across tho narrow country jewfito tho near-uy noignnor. Here JLvtlipiiJks the common carrier of the coMwumues guoa practice, is muuu , seond Important function of tho EcouRty Ngrlcultural Agent. k' (3 There are Headquarters ror Kit 'Jaffa Irs, for political affairs, und HsfZother affairs, but we have no luartera for local agricultural rs. urniers have met at conventions, Fa ge halls, and country school eg and after the meeting some Ilka s said "That's good, but what five going to do about It? We talked It over before." The dlf- ty is mat tnere nas ueen no one et fir them, no one to actually ' a out co-operative shipping nf- 1 h heei decided to ship co lt velv no one to get quotations las'-emble orders for the car of Liu one to find the market for Use: e-free potato seed tho eon;- It) c'u has grown; no one to nUe the cow-Utftlog association itcest the boy In his olub pro- -no one "to represent the com- (tv cr the region, to stlmulato p .nt the way, to project meet ings, policies, methods of work as applicable to the place, to bring In oxperts and specialists when needed. to have an ofllcc In which the facts pertaining to the agriculture of tho region nro nssemnied and whore they will be available for any porson who desires them," no one, in short, to do for the community those things which must bo done co-operatively and cannot ho done by the Individual acting independently In the servtco hero suggested, then, Is found a third Important reason for tho Introduc tion of County Agent Work. An Kmiucoiiii Conception. Tho statement that 'the farmor doesn't need anyone to teach him how to farm" la often directed ngalnst the County Agent movement. Tho movement, however, Is not bas ed upon a disregard for the Intelli gence, nblllty, or skill of the farmer of today In those spheres In which ho acquires experience; hut Just ns tho capablo mother duds a tlino when the chlld'a welfare demands tho doc tor's care, so problems present them selves for which tho most success ful farmer finds no solution in the Btore-house of 1,1s experience. In deed, If It wore not so, fnrmlug would differ from all other activities; for In no trade, occupation, or pro fessldn, docs the Individual depend In'nll cases upon his own experience. Tho question may bo fairly asked, How many yeare of practical exper ience must a farmer have? 1. To know whether protein comes cheaper In brnu at $20 u ton or In oil meal nt $35? 2. To know whether he should npply nitrogen or phosphorus, or pot ash or sulphur or llnio to his noil, separately or In combination, nnd, If so, In what amounts and what tho cost should bo? 3. To bo able to Identify hog cholera by post mortem examination? 4. To know tho llfo-hlstory and control of tho many Insect pests nnd fungus diseases that are of economic importnnco? 0. To Btart nn egg circle, a co operative stock-shipping association, a public market, u mllk-sliipplug as sociation, otc? C. To stop tho spread of a con tagious disease, like foot-and-mouth diacaso, hog cholera, or sheep scab; or to wage a campaign against Jack rabbits, ground squirrels, or other rodents? 7. To get his neighbors to stand ardize tho potnto crop, the applo crop or Homo other crop so that tho community can market advantag eously? 5. To protect his community against lmpiiro need and adulterated feed? Tliese, nnd other questions which might bo added, serve to Illustrate tho many cases In which tho special rgent may bo of service to tin suc cessful and experienced farmer, Specific lU'siilt.s In Oregon. Some conception of tho total In fluence of tho small number of Coun ty Agents now employed In Oregon may bo obtained from tho following Eummcry complied from tho report of the twelve county ngentB of this Btato for tho year 191'). 0,300 farm visits were mndo; 35, 500 people attended meetings ad dressed by agents. Theso wore most ly local meetings hold out In country school houses and grango halls, whero local conditions woro talked over by one familiar with thorn dd with tho people assemhlod. 45 adult organizations were formed with a membership of 2,000, quite a step In tho direction or organizing tho un organized farmer. Agents assisted In holding 33 short courses out In the counties; through their lulluonco 33 silos woro erected during tho year; 18 registered bulls were purchased and half nB man) registered hoars; 750 cows woro tested for butter fat production privately In County Agent counties nnd moro than 3,300 wero tcstod In cow-testing associations. About seven hundred wero tuberculin tested through County Agent Influ ence nnd a like number woro vacci nated ns protection against black leg. In three countlos a total of 19,700 acres of wet land wero Included In drainage districts organized through tho activities or the agents or put under private drainage systems plan ned by the agents. The value of this one accomplishment may ho measur ed In thousands of dollars. Further work is reported In connection with live-stock feeding, balancing rations, soil fertility, farm records, etc. Perhaps a better Idea of tho actual results of work may ne gained from a report of one or two projects de scrlbsd In detail, let ua consider for example: A Single Service of Great Importance A cortaln County Agent Inspected tho seed potatoes In the three prin cipal seed houses of tho county and found tho stock on hand to be gener ally affeoted with rhlzoctonla and fusarluni wilt, two diseases that had been largely responsible for reduc ing tht export of potatoes of that county from something like 400 to BOO cars a year down to lew than SO cars a year. The dealer bad not recognized the presence of the dU aie but agreod to handle clean ftoed If the agent would And It. The Ment was able to locate some dUeas-free seed and It Is significant that he lo cated it through another County Agent who bad organised a eoratuua Ity Into an aaaoc'atlon that had for ' Its purpose tho growing, grading nnd I marketing of dIseaBe-free potatoes. . As a result of tho activity of the two agents, many acres of potatoes may I produce a normal yield, wherens complete or partial failure would have followed the planting of tho diseased seed. This day's work may benefit many people who will nover know of tho service tendered nnd tho totnl gain to tho county mny be greater than tho "ost of the agent and his office for an entre year. A Demonstration nml Its ltesults. The following Is but ono of ninny demonstrations as they nro mado by tho agents In the field. In th!3 In stance the co-oper-itor makes his own report na to results. Tho preoenco of black alkali rond el ed a tract of land prr.cMcr.'.ly worth less, and one owner of the region called upon tho County Agent to suggest n method of treatment. , Dra'lnago was recommended with tho ! stiggostlon that tho trial be made on I a small but representative plot. Ho- cause of high frolght intea on tmmU shipments of tile, four acres wero drained nt n rather high total labor and matorlnl cost of $138.50. Tho owner gives the followlngflgurea on the operations: Crop 19-14 1 acres 20 bushel barley or 5 bushel to the ncre. Crop 1915 4 acres 27S bushel wheat and bnrloy or C9& bushel to the ncro, "Placing a valuo of 80 conts a bu. on this crop, the lesult Is $222.40 $138.50 or $S3.90 net gain this yenr fromi tho aboo operation. In our minds nnd from these results wo firmly bollovo that tile dralungo Is nn unqualified success. Thero nro few Investments that pay co well on alkali land. We Intend to dmtn 40 acres moro as quickly as possible." A Community Campaign. "Fifty two thousand five hundred forty-three Jnck rabbits poisoned by nctuul count," and tho special ngent of tho U. S. Biological lliircau adds, "A conservative estimate of tho num ber of rabbits killed during tho two months that nctunl poisoning was In piOgtciG would lio 05,000." This represents a work of orgnnl zrtlon and co-oporntlon. Tlicro wns leadorrfhlp. In contrast to u system whereby, every fnrmer buys and mixes his own poison In his own way, tho Agent obtained tho services of n governmont specialist In rodent control nnd together thoy organized community clubs, purchased strych nine co-oporntlvoly nt n caving, ap pointed a poison mlxor for each com munity club, demonstrated to htm tho offectlvo mothod of mixing pois on; nnd then, with all working unit edly nnd understandlngly uudor tho direction of tho agent and fcovorn niont specialist, rabbits wero destroy ed In grenter numbers than ever be fore "Tho County Agriculturist, C. C. Cnte, has douo wonders for this county." II. II. Wer.therspoon, Hor ticultural Commissioner nnd farmer, Elgin, Oregon. "In my opinion this law (provid ing agricultural extension work for tho counties) Is doing moro to de velop the agricultural rosourccs of tho Stato than any lnw that was ever passed." Senator I. S. Smith, Coos County. "Tho farm record work recently conducted undor tho supervision of our County Agent was the best thing Hint ever happened for Tillamook County." Joo Donaldson, Tilla mook. "It wns largoly through tho offorts of our County Agent, II, II. Coglon, that wo were enabled to start our co-operative stock-shipping nnd es tablish our public market In Ijino county." C. J. Hunt, farmor and market master, Eugene, Oregon. "I figure that the eight months of my membership (In Coos County Cow-Tooting AEscclatlon,) hnt help ed mo to gain savoral hundred dol- lcrs for tho noxt three years, for I would havo continued keeping somo of tho unprofitable cows." William Llndstrom, Court County. (Ono of 78 statements received from as tunny monitors of the cow-testing associa tions organized by J, I.. Smith, Coun ty Agent of Coos County.) "Mr. Jones (County Agont, Tilla mook County) Btartod this drainage district nnd It la n big thing for tho county." Carl Hunt, Tillamook, Or egon. "Fronn tho Information gained In nil counties where tho Agriculturist has been given a fair trial It has been demonstrated boyond U doubt that practically nil farmers who have oomo In touch with him nro strong supporters of tho work." J. W. Urewer, Sec'y Development Ilurenu In ropoit to Kxeciitlvo Secretary Port land Chamber of Commerce aftor Investigation In Hnstorn Orogon counties having agents. Grunge KiuIoi-m-n Woik. The State Grange of Oregon at Its 43rd annual meeting In Grants Pass I Mny 9-11. 191C), went on record as favoring County Agent work, as Indicated b the adoption of the fol lowing resolution :- Whereas. It hds developed through the deliberations of this State Gralige In annual convention assembled that through co-operation we may ad vance the agricultural Interests and build up and strengthen our order and Whereas, Experience loaches that we cannot get far la our co-operative surprise w'thout an employed agent to carry out the details of our plans aad act as a oenter for the eoronwfllty awl aid It In the estab. Itehwent of eoumunlty breeding and standardization of produets upon written co-orstlve Marketing de pends. Therefore be It reaohed. That we endorse tho employment of county agricultural agents to per form this service for the farmers of each county nnd That we urgo tho subordinate nnd Pomona granges of our respective counties to devote themselves nctlvo ly to securing agricultural agents In nil counties and That they (tho granges) co-operate In building up a county agricul tural council, clmllar to that now In offect In Lane county, which will co opornto with nnd aid In tho direction of the activities of the county agri cultural agent. What the Agent Costs. Tho county court Is permitted by tho lnw of the State to approprlato $2000 a year for County Agent work. The nverngo of tho appropriations now In effect In thirteen Oregon counties is about $1700. Tho Stato money increases tho totnl budget to twice that of tho county appropria tion On the average about half tho budget goes into tho salary of the men employed. Tho balance rovers traveling expenoes, ofllco maluteu nnco supplies, etc. Thero nro some expenses to be met tho first yenr such ns purchase of nutomoblto, typewrit er, filing cabinet, etc., that nro not to bo met thereafter. Men suited for County Agent po sitions ore specialists ns trulj ns the doctor, luwjer or teacher. Thoy have lmd practical experience ob well as scientific training, nnd to b? success ful must havo broad vision and pos sess qualities of leadership. Such men can my ho secured by thu pay ment of liberal salaries. So much depends upon tho character and uhll Ity of the agent himself that It Ib folt to bu unwise to limit tho ap propriation In any wny that would tr.tiko Impossible tho employment of the best of men. Tho County Agent necessnrlly spends much of his tlmo out of his ofllco. The nnturo of his ofllco, how ever, Is such that It should not bo closed to the public four or flvo days out of tho week. It is deslr nblo Hint n clork orstcnogrnpher be pior.ent to pass out bulletin, library books, etc, or to receive callers nnd nsccrtr.ln their wants In order that thoy may bu attended to by tho Agent upon his return, Tho Agont has ex tnnslvo correspondence nnd can rench ninny more pcoplo when bu hns sten ographic nsslstunco that will enablo him to dlstrlhuto circular hitters and write articles for tho press of his county, hut ns a rule funds hnvo not boon provided for this service. Tho Cost to the Ihdjtliliml Fanner. Upon this point there Is much ap prehension. Tho Individual Is In clined to feel that his sharo or thu burden will bo much greater than 1h actually thu case. Assuming that n woll-to-do fnrmer ban n twenty thoiiBand dollar farm assessed at half WE HAVE v ' BEND LAW SCHOOL A LAW SCHOOL, wilt bo opened In Hend about Sep tember 1, 191C, by Grant M. Raymond, hh. Il and Arthur J. Moore. I,L. It. Tho school will bo n night school, for tho boneftt of thoso who nro otherwise en gaged during tho dny, Applications for admission nre now bolng received nt tho law olllco of Hnymond & Moore, oir llontl street. Tuition will bo within the reach of nil. Tho regular law course as proscribed by tho leading law schools of tho country will bo adopted. Upon com pletion of tho courto graduntes will bo ollglblo for nd mlsslon to practice law in tho Stato or Oregon upon pass, lug the Stato llrr Examination. ItAY.MOM) .V .MOOIM-:, Opposite lir.st National llnnk I.ok Cabin Itiiltdlug 2 1-2 fie l'OMClKS THAT PItOTIlCT. The Oldest Insurance Agency in Central Ore. WE WHITE INSURANCE IN ALL ITS UHANCHES It's the way we write our policies." Our companies pay 100 cts. on the dollar. We have over 400 satisfied policy holders. The largest insurers in Crook County are our leading customers Bend Insurance Agency Bend, Oregon POLICIES THAT I ItOTECT. tbjit n mount on tho tax roll, then tho) cost to him will bu nbout $1.00 peri yenr providing bo lives In n county ot nbout nvorago assessed valuation ($10,000,000) appropriating tho nv orago amount for this work. Taking n few specific Instnnces: In Umatilla county tho ciist to tho ubove-iueii-tinned fnrmer would bo '10 cents, or halt the valuo ot a bushel of wheat, providing tho full $2,000 woro ap propriated; In Coos or Tillamook counties tho cost to tho fnrmer for tho nvorago appropriation would ho 80 conts or tho equivalent ot 5 pounds or chcoso; In Marlon county 38 cents, or tho valuo of tho product of n good dairy cow In n day; In DoughiB county 02 rents, or less than BE COOL in YOUR KITCHEN. COOK WITH electricity Bend now has tho Lowest Electric Cooking Rate in the State. Cooking and Heating Meter Rates First 100 K. W. II. in Any Month Da per K. W. II., Next 100 K. W. II. in Any Month lie pur K. W. II. All Over 1200 K. W. II. in Any Month, le per K. V, II. Effective April 1st, 1010. ELECTRIC RANGES from we sell on easy terms. WATER LIGHT & POWER CO. Phone 551 the prlco of n box ot npplos; In l.lnn county 54 cents, or tho equivalent of about three dozen eggs. A Paradox. That objection Is sometimes on countered to thu employment of ml Agricultural Agent by tho farmers themselves on the ground ot expense, ucoiiih strange upon analysis. Wo support our nrmy, our nnvy, our Inw mnkliiK nnd Inw-ouforclng bodies, our administrative officers of city, county Dtate nnd nation, bonrdn und com ihIsbIoiib of ninny kinds, n vast num ber of teachers and educators for thoso of school ago, and yet It hns frequently been tho additional agont (Continued on pngo 10.) $10 up whigli ' ' .,' ' '