Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-10-08
B|NCHAMTON'S
FARM BUREAU
City Realizes Value Of Improv-
ing Its Surroundings.
INTELLIGENT COOPERATION.
Retterment of Agricultural Conditions
Brings Increased Population and
Trade to Community - State and
Government Departments Interested.

A farm bureau has been established
as permanent department Of its work
by the Binghamton chamber OF COM
merce. This resulted from several CON
ferences on the subject between Dr.
w. J. Spillman, chief OF the office OF
farm management of the department
of agriculture at Washington; II. A.
Pearson, commissioner Of agriculture
Webber, director, and other members
Of the faculty of the New York State
College of Agriculture at Cornell uni
versity.
Development work Of this nature has
for several years been an acknowl-
edged part OF the work of commercial
organizations in the south, middle west
and western states, but the Bingham
ton chamber of commerce has been the
first strictly eastern organization to d.
recta large part of its attention to the
development of agricultural resources
adjacent to the city whose business In
terests it is organized to serve.
Since its organization the Bingham
ton chamber of commerce has been
content to look after the credits and
the interests of the retailers. whole
salers and manufacturers within the
city limits, but 1t has recognized that
the farming industry is the largest
and employs the most people Of any
industry in the section and that it de-
serves attention accordingly.
The bureau Will be practically rec
ognized by the government depart
ment at Washington, the state depart
ment at Albany and state college Of
agriculture and will be under the direc-
ton of graduate Of one of the lead
ing agricultural colleges of the coun-
try, who has had four years of actual
farm experience in addition to his ed
ucation.
Under the direction of the State Col
lege of Agriculture a complete farm
survey Of the territory will be made
which will lay bare the problems re-
quiring attention. When this report Is
presented the bureau will then direct
its efforts along the lines suggested by
the survey.
The bureau will operate for few
months, without cost to the farmers,
COW testing association for demon
stration purposes. 1t is expected that
through this work the average produc-
ton of the cows in each dairy will be
raised, so that the farmers will see the
advantages Of such an association and
organize and maintain these associa-
tions themselves.
Under the direction of the United
States government office of farm man
agement the bureau will conduct an
experiment on lands in the section
known as hill farms for demonstration
purposes, it being the claim Of the
government department Of agriculture
that the hill farms surrounding Bing
hamton are ideally located for produc-
tion of large crops, especially potatoes,
with proper crop rotation, good culti-
vation and fertilization.
Agencies are being established in
Scotland, Holland and Sweden where
by the immigrants from those sections
desiring to settle on the farms will
be given either positions or furnished
with an opportunity to reach farm
land in the Binghamton territory.
Since 1865 the young men from the
farm sections of southern New York
have been leaving the farms for the
industry and business life Of the city
or to go west and take up government
lands which they could get for moth
ing. These lands in the west are now
practically all occupied. BY reason Of
this the farm lands OF southern New
York, especially the hill farms, have
greatly deprecated in value, and their
value at present is at low ebb and
cannot further decrease.
The soil is in good condition for cul-
tivation, and the farmers who have
taken up these lands within the last
four or five years at a low price are
now getting an annual income of about
$4,000 year from a farm of $50 acres
which required a first investment Of
less than $4,000. The soil conditions
were right, and with intelligent man
The farmers in this section have
great advantage over those in the west
and south in the matter Of nearness to
metropolitan markets, where the best
prices for farm products of all kinds
are paid.
The government and state depart
ments of agriculture, in conjunction
with the state College of Agriculture
and the local farm bureau, claim that
either In Binghamton or any other To-
cality in the southern portion of New
York state where a movement of this
kind will be undertaken the popula-
tion of the community, the value of
the farm lands, the products and bank
deposits of the farmers themselves
can be doubled in from five to ten
years by such intelligent cooperation
offered for farm development as is
planned by the business and farm in
terests OF Binghamton and the sur
rounding country.