THE DEMONSTRATION WORK 



throughout the broad limits of this Union on a larger and broader 

 scale." 



When the first appropriation was made by Congress in 

 1904, to give special aid to do the work which Dr. Knapp was 

 inaugurating, the act specified that the money was to be used 

 for the purpose of fighting the boll weevil. In the passing of 

 the years, the language was gradually expanded until pro- 

 vision was made for teaching and demonstrating better crop 

 methods in general. 



Under the gradual process of evolution of the county 

 agency the time had really arrived by 1914 for more compre- 

 hensive legislation. Representative Rubey, of Missouri, gave 

 an outline of this development in the following quotation taken 

 from his address in Congress in favor of the Lever Bill : 



"Farm Demonstration Work is not a new and untried experi- 

 ment. It has been thoroughly tested and the results are known. For 

 many years Farm Demonstration Work has been carried on in the 

 South and more recently in widely scattered counties in the northern 

 and western states. The work in the South was carried on under 

 the direction of the late Dr. Seaman A. Knapp, the founder of Farm 

 Demonstration Work in this country. A number of years ago the 

 boll weevil attacked the cotton fields and threatened the extermina- 

 tion of the great industry. The Government came to the relief of 

 the people ; it began to cooperate with them in their fight against this 

 pest. Dr. Knapp took charge of this work, and under his direction 

 men were sent into the territory infested. It was soon found that the 

 only successful way to fight the boll weevil was by improved methods 

 of cultivation and by diversifying the crops; that instead of raising 

 cotton and cotton alone, the farmer must learn to raise a variety of 

 crops which the boll weevil would not attack." 



Congressman Adair, of Indiana, epitomized the situation 

 as follows : 



"There is no more important work for the agricultural institu- 

 tions of the country than that of strengthening field service, 

 demonstrations and instruction, to the end that the promotion and 



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