THE DEMONSTRATION WORK 



of all the farmers in a neighborhood is far superior to the know- 

 ledge of any one man — no matter how much he may know or profess 

 to know. Usually the best man in the community — those who have 

 succeeded, made money and improved their living conditions — are 

 those most interested in their own business and who have always 

 been eager to learn how to do things better. These are the people 

 we find organizing county farm bureaus and hiring good live men 

 to help them in coordinating the experience of all and getting into 

 practice the best things in farming. There must be a desire for 

 information and those who are opposing the idea and arguing 

 against it are shutting themselves off from a real opportunity." 



Doubtless definitions by county agents themselves in 

 this connection will prove interesting. Recently prizes were 

 offered in North Carolina for the best definition of what the 

 county agent really is. The following were considered the 

 two best. This definition won the first prize : 



* ' A county agent is a farmer, trained to serve his rural people 

 as an apostle of the high ideals of living; as a teacher of the pro- 

 gressive principles of the business, the industry and profession of 

 farming, and as a promoter of whatever will make for the welfare 

 of individuals, communities and state. ' ' 



This one won second : 



^'A county agent is a man placed in a county by the Federal 

 Department of Agriculture, cooperating jointly with the State 

 College and Department of Agriculture, to give his people a vision 

 and to lead them to work toward the highest ideals in agriculture, 

 education and religion, which gives the best we have in our most 

 civilized and enlightened life." 



The Dallas Farm News of February 4th, 1919 tells the 

 following : 



When Louis F. Arnold became agent in Collin County, 

 Texas, in 1916, he visited every community in the county and 

 spoke as follows to the assembled farmers : 



"The Extension Service of the A. & M. College, the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, and your county officials are co- 

 operating in paying me a salary to help you farmers increase your 



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