The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-11-03
i'm 40 VERMONT TOWNS
FARMERS MEETINGS CONDUCTED
DURING YEAR IN MANY
PLACES

State Commissioner of Agriculture
Orlando l. Martin, Makes His An
nual Report-Many Publications Is.
sued to Assist the Agriculturist-
Apple Industry in Vermont Neg.
lected, He Says.
The annual report of the state Com
missioner of Agriculture, Orlando l..
Martin of Plainfeld, is published. Mr..
Martin says in part that during the
past year institutes and farmers meet
ings have been held in forty different
towns and villages and have been at
tended by more that five thousand
people. To Vermont talent were adj
ded prominent speakers from other
States. The interest and attendance
at these meetings was much greater
than last year and their teachings
We're highly commended in all parts
of the State
/ The Institute season closed with the
second annual Farmers Week, con-
Quoted under the direction of the
State Agricultural College and the
Commissioner. The registration at
this meeting was about three hundred
and the Commissioner still believed
as stated in his last report, that with
wider appreciation of it's worth, this
affair will prove invaluable to the
aglicuturists of Vermont.
/ Publications.
There have been issued Clover-seed
bulletins. called for considerably for
school use; Farmers Week number,
Cow Testing Association bulletin.
commencing itself to all interested in
such work; Bee bulletin, with a view
to stimulating agricultural industry
which, though profitable, receives
for too little attention. 1t is signifi-
cant that in Addison county alone
this year, there have been produced
$4,000 pounds of honey The report
also says:
Requests are still numerous for
literature relating to Vermont agri-
culture and lands. A noteworthy fea-
ture of these inquiries is that often
times they come from the most dis
.
people are beginning to realize that
there is no place east of the Mississ-
ippi river where so much can be had
for dollar as right here in Ver-
mont.
Farm Crops.
THE products of the farm this year
bid fair to he above the average. The
hay crop is a bountiful harvest, be-
ing from 10 to 20 per cent higher
than that of last year Corn and po-
tatoes are promising at the time of
this report and oats are above aver
age. Apples were damaged some
what by late frosts. Careful invest
cation shows a variation of from 80
to 50 per cent of full crop, the lar
gest yield being in Addison county.
Il still maintain that the apple
industry is neglected At the New
England Fruit Show in Boston last
autumn, comparatively few Vermont
apples were shown, but those that
were en- exhibition received high
award in the various classes. which
goes to show that Vermont can COM
pete with other New England States
in this as well as in other industries.
] believe that the State can compete
successfully with other great apple
districts, if the indusry is given the
same careful attention here"
Insect Pests.
Protective literature has been sent
to border towns calling attention to
the necessity for extreme vigilance in
guarding against the infestation of
Vermont by the gypsy or brown-tail
moths. Such infestation exists in
every New England State except Ver-
mont. The San Jose scale in West
minister has been eXterminate6.
I The agricultural societies are do
ing asrand work for the promotion
of agriculture. The premium money
paid in 1903, exclusive Of purses was
$3S,29SSS. The fair is the opportune
time and place to view the best pro-
duct of the farm
There are now nine COW testing
associations in the State, doing SPLEEN
did work in the encouragement of
economic dairying. The principal
hindrance is lack of available men to
do the work
Education and Legislation.
, while economy is said to be the
source of all wealth, | believe many
of your officials are called upon 10
conduct their department with too
small an appropriation. Especially
is this true of the department of ag-
riculture.
Vermont is primarily agricultural
and her possibilities along this line
are unlimited, yet your commissioner
is allowed an appropriation equal to
only fourteen cents per farm, calcu-
lated on the basis of all the farms in
the State Institutes should be con-
tinued in the rural towns. Movable
schools of agriculture should be en-
couraged, Better farming trains
should be run over all railroad sys-
tens. Agriculture should be taught
in the public schools Farmers Weeks
should be continued The sheep in
dustry should be encouraged by en-
acting a dog law similar to Connecti-