262 



AGRICULTURAL DISCONTENT 



Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson to southern New York, where he 

 observed agricultural conditions and expressed concern over the rate at 

 which farms in that locality were being abandoned. This caused the 

 campaign to set up an agency to extend to the farmers the same oppor- 

 tunities that businessmen enjoyed. In its efforts the chamber got the aid 

 of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The road went so 

 far as to plan a demonstration farm along its lines, but following an 

 alternative proposal by W. J. Spillman of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, this plan was abandoned and a resident county agent 

 hired instead. After a series of conferences, the Department of Agricul- 

 ture and the railroad company agreed to finance the project, and the 

 state college of agriculture was to "give advice and encouragement." 1 



The response of the farmers to the first agent was hardly encouraging. 

 It was largely his personality and the aid of successful community leaders 

 that enabled him to overcome the prejudice and indifference of the farm- 

 ers. Many farmers had a hard time trying to figure out why the chamber 

 of commerce should want to come to their aid; in fact, they had been 

 told that such agencies usually "skinned" them. Besides, many felt that it 

 was not better methods of production that they needed to know more 

 about but how to get more money for what they produced. 20 



The pattern for organizing and financing the Binghamton County 

 Farm Bureau was repeated by numerous other groups in the western Mid- 

 dle West, as well as in other parts of the country. Some states like Minne- 

 sota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Illinois passed legislation allowing 

 county supervisors affiliated with the county farm bureaus or with 

 the development associations formed by certain business groups to raise 

 money to be used by these organizations. But before county funds would 

 become accessible, certain local funds had to be raised. In general, this 

 procedure was followed : a meeting of businessmen and prominent farmers 

 of the county was called. An association would be formed, either inde- 

 pendently or under the auspices of the commercial club or chamber of 

 commerce. Members were charged a nominal fee. Additional funds came 

 from bankers, railroads, and other business groups interested in the agri- 

 cultural development of the county. This, plus financial aid from the 



19. Burritt, The County Agent and the Farm Bureau, pp. 160-61. 



20. Ibid., p. 162. 



