f t 



of 

 to 



DeKalb 



Festival 



Celebrates 



25 Years 



^^^^ I'KAI.B county farm folks 



^^/ I r-'i'^'-'^l ''^ celebrate the 2'itli 

 _ ^ y anniversary of the DeKalb 

 C^ounty Soil Improvement Association. 

 August 28, at the annua! Farm Bureau 

 picnic. Sycamore Community Park. 

 Eleven members of the first board ot 

 directors and tlie first farm adviser. 

 W. G. Hckhardt, were honored guests. 



While younger folks engaged in a 

 county I-'arm Sports Festival, the older 

 Farm Bureau members recalled other 

 days and contrasted them with the 

 present. It was evident to them that 

 their pioneering work had borne fruit. 



H. H. Parke, first president of the 

 Association. J. D. Bilsborrow. assistant 

 state leader of farm advisers and 

 George F. Metzger. field secretary of 

 the Illinois Agricultural Association 

 were speakers on the brief program. 



I'ormer president Parke recountcil 

 the events that led up to the establish- 

 ment of the DeKalb County Soil Im- 

 provement As.sociation. He explained 

 that farmers in 1912 were aware that 

 expert guidance was needed if they 

 Were to improve yields and get the 

 most from their farms. 



|. D. Bilsborrow discussed the 2> 



PIONEER FARM LEADERS 

 Left to right: John Blair. Mr. Hiatt, Geo. Hyde. W. G. Eckhardt (farm adviser). Geo. 

 H. Gurler, Fred C. Love. F. B. Towrnsend. H. H. Parke. E. E. Hippie, Geo. Fox. W. F. 

 Leifheit and Orton Bell, members of the first board of directors of the DeKalb County 

 Soil Improvement Association. 



years of soil experimentation that had 

 preceded the founding of the first 

 farmers' organization in Illinois 

 Knowledge plus application of scien- 

 tific principles are necessary to increase 

 soil fertility, he said. 



"Pioneers seldom reap the fruits of 

 their labor." was N(ctzger's comment 

 He explained that folks who are now 

 farming in the county are iiarvesting 

 the benefits of a movement started 

 2") years ago by the men who weri. 

 far-sighted enough to establish an or 

 ganization for soil improvement He 

 j-'Ointed to tax reductions, \olumc buv 

 ing of supplies, legislative representa- 

 tion and establishment of paritv prices 

 as examples of results farmers obt.uncd 

 by Coiintv Farm Bureaus working hand 

 in hand with the Illinois .•\grKulturai 

 Association and the American |-.irm 

 Bureau Federation 



Want a Sure Thing? 



1 here are hundreds of thousands i)f 

 dollars being spent each year on highuay 

 safety. .Accident-prevention is out of the 

 speed ( op and iodine stage. The gre.it 

 tieed now is one of driver education. 

 Most drivers recognize their own abilities 

 and inabilities but .it ilie same time arc 

 unwilling to recognize the limitations of 

 other drivers. 



Flie only sure wav ot keeping out of 

 amdents is for us to take no chames 

 ourselves and not to permit ourselves to 

 get jockeyeil into siuh a position tli.it 

 any other motorist taking a ihanie lan 

 hurt us . . . two simple rules whidi 

 would be worth millions of dollars to 

 the motorists of this country each year 

 It tliev wouKI recognize them. 



E. E. HOUGHTBY HITS 

 "Men over 35 are teaping the benefits of work done 

 by those who pioneered in farm organization work." 



"REMEMBER THE DAY — " 

 George Hyde. left, recalls an incident when "Bill" Eckhardt 

 (with felt hat) was DeKalb county's "Soil Doctor." for George 

 E. Metzger. (center) lAA. and I. D. Bilsborrow. assistant state 

 leader of farm advisers. 



OCTOBER, 1937 



27 



