Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1914 — The County Agent and Profitable Agriculture. [ARTICLE]

The County Agent and Profitable Agriculture.

The county agent is a part of a great agricultural movement. This movement has for its ultimate purpose the building up of a country life that shall be wholesome, attractive, cultured, efficient and profitable. There are many sections of our country today that have one or more of these conditions, but the sections where all are found in happy unison are comparatively few. The desire ot those who are thinking on rural problems is that rural communities everywhere shall be wholesome, attractive and cultured, and that each individual shall receive a fair reward for the labor done and the capital invested. The county agent ihas one dominant part in this program. While he may take other parts, his primary function is to help make agriculture efficient and profitable. In proportion as agriculture is made profitable will the community become attractive, cultured and a place wholesome and desirable to live in. Just what is meant by a profitable agriculture? Simply this: There shall be a reasonable return on the capital invested in farming and a reasonable return for the «farmer’s labor and managerial ability. A farmer, like any other man in any other business, is entitled to just what he earns and no more; but what he earns shoula he sufficient to give him and his family some of the more essential conveniences of modern life, time for study, some recreation and opportunity for education for his children. With some money in his pocket the fatiner will support the church, place conveniences in his house, magazines and literature on the sitting-room table, and send his children to the best schools with very little outside prompting.—U. S. Dept, of Agriculture News Letter.