340 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 June, 1918. 



I may remark that G. C. Kreutzer, formerly of the Water Commis- 

 sion, Victoria, is farm adviser in Kern County, Bakersfield. 



I visited him at his office at Bakersfield. He informed me that 

 Kern County had thirteen Farm Bureaux, and over 600 members, each 

 of whom paid a dollar for organization work. He had an assistant — a 

 young graduate of Berkeley — fine office and equipment, and two motor 

 cars. 



He appeared to be doing very good work in the county, and the 

 membership and number of meetings was rapidly increasing. 



The function of the farm advisers is to act as clearing houses for 

 information for farmers of the county. They bring the information of 

 the Agricultural College, the Experiment Station, and the Department 

 of Agriculture to the farmer needing it. 



The adviser is in all cases a scientifically trained man — one who has 

 graduated from an agricultural course at the University, and who has 

 had practical experience of agriculture to supplement his scientific 

 trainings. He spends his whole time in the county, having his offices 

 and head-quarters at the county seat. 



His work is, broadly : — - 



(1) To advise on soil treatment, fertilization, crop adaptation 



and culture, animal husbandry. 

 To answer any questions and give any advice to those who 

 apply for information. 



(2) Organization work for the farmers of the community, e.g., 



giving assistance to boys' clubs, farmers' organizations, 

 marketing and buying organizations. Kreutzer, for 

 example, in Kern County, organized a series of stock sales 

 for the sale of hogs, calves, and sheep. It appears that, 

 in California, there are no regular stock sales such as we 

 have in Australia in country centres and in the metropolis. 

 The packers and butchers merely visit farms and settle 

 what prices they will pay. In Kern County a series of 

 stock sales were organized on what the farmers called 

 " the Australian system," and these sales attracted large 

 attendances of buyers. 



(3) Investigation of the larger problems of farm management 



in the county. 



(4) Demonstration of these principles and practices through the 



co-operation of the interested farmers. 



The salary of the farm advisers is usually $1,500 to $1,800. In 

 California there are 58 counties, and 29 of these have farm advisers. 

 These 29 counties have three-quarters of all the farms of the State. 



N^o farm adviser is stationed in any county in California unless the 

 county carries out the following : — 



(1) Enlists 20 per cent, of the farmers of the county as members 



of the Farm Bureau, and secures $1 from each for 

 organization work. 



(2) The Board of Supervisors of the county must appropriate 



$2,000 per annum for expenses of the county agent. 

 In each county usually twelve farm bureaux are organized, and these 

 hold meetings once a month. County-wide campaigns for county better- 

 ment along definite agricultural lines are often projected by the farm 



