Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 217, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 September 1913 — The County Agent Probelm. [ARTICLE]

The County Agent Probelm.

The action of the Jasper • county council in refusing to appropriate hinds provided by law to aid 1 in the expense of continuing the present office of our county ' agent arouses some feeling on the part of those who/contributed toward the first SSOO ‘necessary to secure action, to obtain the same. It seems that many do not understand the work of pur agricultural schools.

I have heard many men make slighting remarks concerning Purdue University. It is high time that the farmers of Jasper county know the objeet of agricultural work in schools and universities. Their work has a direct bearing on the farmers' institutes and the county agent may be the means of bringing the results of experimental work directly to the people. Some say: “No wonder Purdue makes a suceess of farming, when it has the backing of the big state of Indiana. I eould make a success too if I had the support of the state.” * As a matter of fact, Purdue farm-, ing is not done on a paying basis. The agricultural college would go into bankruptcy if it had to depend upon the income from its own resources to pay its expenses. This is as it should be. There may possibly he one or two branches of their work that do not low them money. It is a school of experiment and investigation. In feeding stock, for instance, the stock is divided into pens and each pen is fed different rations. They know that some of the feeding will not pay to follow up before they begin the feeding test. They are satisfied which kind of feeding and methods of handling stock has so far brought the best results in putting on, flesh, and quality of same, but they are trying to find but a still better way to feed, and quicker methods of finishing the animal at a less cost than we yet know of. These feeding tests are carried on not just one year or on one bunch of stock, hut for several years and on different hunches of stock; and at different seasons of tMe year. We all know that some years certairf kinds of hay and grain have a higher feeding value than during other years. Only after such a series of experimehts can they confidently pronounce one method better, quicker and cheaper than another. All these experiments take time and cost money. Each reed is carefully weighed as are also the animals at stated times to determine the exact effect on the animals at different periods of the experiment.

Live stock is only one small branch of the work at any agricultural school. The work on sdils is carried on with the same exactness. The object is this: to establish beyond a doubt the best paying methods, with the least amount of labor and expense,' by which we farmers can proceed in order to make a livlihood for ourselves and families and at the same time be able to enjoy life as we go along. Many farmers have made money and are still doing it, who are way behind the times in their methods. Why not he satisfied there? We must not he satisfied as long as there is a better way to do things. We must try to either make more money 'or make it more easily. The present generation of hoys and girls demand more rest and enjoyment and better homes and less grind, hard work and discomfort than did ourgrandparents. If they do not get these things they will not get that which belongs to them and is within their reach, providing the parents are progressive. Let us not go backward. Let us step forward and grasp every means at hand for improving our condition. Let us cheerfully back up the efforts of our agricultural schools and profit by their experiments in our behalf. Let us support our agricultural agent and with his assistance find -the cause of some of our weaknesses and failures in farming. Thereby we may be able to make a living easier and have more time to enjoy the good things of life. Our county agent’s business is to help every farmer in Jasper county to solve problems ,in agriculture. Mr. Barrett is very desirous of doing this and will gladly respond to any call from any fanner or group of farmers. In conclusion I should like tt ask if it is not rather unusual to judge any business, and especially one so slow to show returns as farming, on a sixty day trial. With the amount of money involved, and the many days of work already done to secure this office for our county, It seems only fair to suspend judgment until given a further trial. The low governing the county agent is a state law, and by the act of .rejecting our own agent we cannot escape paying our pro rate of taxation to help keep up the work of other counties that are fortunate enougji to see their opportunities and desire to be in the front rank.

I. F. MEADER.