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
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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
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