472 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



3. The incidental or farm bureau fund should be raised by 

 obtaining pledges from resident farmers of $1.00 per year for three 

 years. This pledge will eventually be the necessary membership 

 fee to the farm bureau that will be formed. The larger the pledge 

 list of actual farmers, the better. 



4. The organization of the farm bureau should not be started 

 until the farm adviser has been, in the county long enough to be- 

 come acquainted with the conditions and the people and then have 

 a part in its organization. The working up of the interest, circu- 

 lating petitions and pledges, can be handled by a temporary organi- 

 zation or committee. 



The committee passing on the applications will consist of the 

 President of the University of Missouri, the director of the experi- 

 ment station, a representative of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture and the State leader. 



In all cases, the availability of State and government funds will 

 determine the number of counties in which this work can be 

 started. The college and United States Government can not at 

 any time obligate themselves in advance of anticipated appropri- 

 ations. 



From the foregoing the reader will gather the briefest outline 

 of the proposed plan of co-operation between government, college 

 and Missouri counties. These few words are not a plea for the 

 cause or an argument in its favor. They are intended to do little 

 other than clearly set forth the plan of work. By far the greatest 

 amount of objection and antagonism to the whole farm adviser 

 idea has been raised by those uninformed or misinformed concern- 

 ing it ; hence the endeavor to explain it carefully. 



It should be clearly understood that no farm adviser will as- 

 sume to give advice or assistance to any farmer not desiring it. 

 However, the farmer who wants first-hand assistance in getting a 

 start of alfalfa on his farm, or wants to know the trouble with his 

 soil and the best treatment for it; the man who wants assistance 

 in ridding his farm of hog cholera, black leg or some crop or 

 orchard pest will apply to the farm adviser; and a personal trip to 

 the one needing individual and specific help will mean the solution 

 of the problem. The farmer who has no apparent troubles but 

 feels that there might be a way to do better, sends his application 

 to the farm adviser for a better system of farming. Such assist- 

 ance has increased the income for individual farmers in this State 

 from $1,500.00 to $1,800.00 in a single year. 



