iversity one-fourth and the county one-half of the salary of the County Farm Adviser. The work carried on is much the same as that carried on in Kansas tho varying somewhat as conditions demand. Missouri has ten county agents. Illinois The first county agent in Illinois began work in June 1912. During the winter of 1911-12 a "Soil Improvement Association" was organized and incorporated in DeKalb County. To raise the necessary funds three working committees were formed, one of the bankers of the county, one of the press, and one of the farmers. The money was raised as follows; -The bankers of the county subscribed $2,000 per year for three years, each bank giving $100 per year. The board of supervisors gave $2,000 per year, and the balance of $10,000 was raised by subscription. "The $6,000 to be raised by subscription was allotted equally to the nineteen townships, making about $300 to be secured by each township. Three men in each township forming a sub-committee, gave the farmers and landowners who wished to subscribe an opportunity to do so. About 700 farmers took part infraising this fund. The county agent movement in Illinois has no connection with the State Agricultural College, tho the latter cooperates with the former in giving advice and in assisting in organization and lecture work. There is a bill before the Illinois State Legislature authorizing county boards to levy tax or appropriate money for county agent work. Illinois has seven county agents. Smith-Lever Law. The Smith-Lever Bill which provides for a farreaching system of cooperation with state agricultural dolleges, whereby the vast stores of scientific knowledge gathered by the government experts will be carried direct to the farmers of the country, became a law May 8-1914. It is calculated that through the practical enlightenment by means of demonstrations and bulletins, it will be possible to double the productiveness of American farms. Section 3 of this law reads as follows; -"That for the purpose of paying the expenses of said cooperative extension work and the necessary printing and distribution of information in connection with the same, there is permanently appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $480,000 for each year, $10,000 of which shall be paid annually in the manner hereinafter provided, to each State which shall by action of its legislature assent to the provisions of this act: Provid ed further, That there is also appropriated an additional $600,000 for the fiscal year following that in which the foregoing appropriation first becomes available, and for each year thereafter for seven years a sum exceeding by $500,000 the sum appropriated for each preceding year, and for each year thereafter there is permanently appropriated for each year the sum of $4,100,000 in addition to the sum of $480,000 herein before provided. Provided further, That ********** Such additional sums shall be ************ paid in the proportion which the rural population of each state bears to the total rural population of all the states as determined by the next preceding census.: Provided further, That no payment out of additional appropriations herein provided shall be made in any year to any state until an equal sum has been appropriated by the legislature of such state ********." These funds are to be expended cooperatively by the Government and the various State Agricultural Colleges. Bulletins will be issued presenting in practical form the vast resources of knowledge gained by the agricultural scientists, and experts will be sent into each rural district to demonstrate to the farmer the most improved method of soil treatment, cultivation, fertilization, crop rotation, marketing, cooperation, and to the farmers' wives and children the principles of scientific economy in dairying, poultry raising and home making. Progressive as the Wes: is, it still has need of the practical coordinated application of scientific principles provided in the new law. Between 1900 and 1910 the gross receipts per acre from cultivated lands of Iowa were $11.40 while densely populated Denmark not only fed its own people but exported $9.00 worth of farm products for every acre un |