Mexico weekly ledger., 1912-11-21
FARM ADVISOR
STATE MEETING
MAY Be HERE:

Bert Ball. Secretary Of the Nation
u Crop improvement Committee.
m favor Of the next state meeting be
Ing held in Mexico. The meeting thi
year was held in sedalia and Mexico
made bid for the meeting Rt the
time before any other city in the
state made move. The meeting win
likely be in this city next summer.
rhe PettIs County Plan,
/ The Pettis County Farm Advise
plan is organized and called rhe- Pet
ltin County Bureau OF Agriculture. A
family membership fee of 800 is
charged and IN subsequent years an
annual due OF si.0o. As an Advisory
Council there are two farmers for
each township. and six additional Of
fters, President. two vice-Pres-
iaents, Secretary, Treasurer and
Manager. This council meets on the
'ast Saturday OF each month at the
Court house for the consideration OF
such matters as may be presente
from time to time.
n In addition to this council there
is appointed three men in each
school district whose duties are to
aid in carrying out the plans and
work as decided upon by the ad-
sisory council Among the members
Of the council are many committees.
such as Good Roads," "seed Breed
ding" Crop Rotations" 'RuraiI
Schools "Sheltering Farm Machin-
cry Pure Bred sires." Ell
nance" Legislature" etc. each
with specific things to DO.
: The manager or advisor Is TO bel
all the title indicates, and is to de-
vote his entire time TO such work
as visiting farms-on invitation to
assist in whatever problems mayI
arise, Testing seed grains and
grasses and to provide means where.
BY more farmers may grow better
seeds and grains and to aid In find
ing markets for all the farm surplus.
and seeking the best markets in
which to secure foundation stock
In Pettis County many out.on-the
farm meetings have been held. These
are all-day meetings, at which din
ners are spread, and farm work,
crops live stock. methods. ETC., ar |
examined and discussed. and leo
lures given and experiences OF ladies'
and gentlemen upon some phase OF
farm work in which they are known
to be successful
At this time a great interest is
being taken hy the Pupils X the
country schools, for in cooperation
with the County Superintendent many
schools have been visited where
demonstrative lectureS have been
given.
In the matter of our apple crop,
the office secured Inquiries from elev-
en- different states. and all our ap-
pies Of reasonable grade found a
market at fair price, but orchards
have not had the right care and as
a result hundreds of bushels could
not go on a market at all.
Farmers had been for some time
trying to grow alfalfa, but with lit
tie success, and in over 200 soil
tests, IT was found that most all of
our soil is too acid to allow alfalfa
to do well, and the failures could all
have been forecasted When the con-
dition OF the soil was made known.
Acid soil is easily sweetened by the
application of lime or limestone fine
| ly ground, and il this is done there
is little doubt as to our success with
alfalfa.
Variety tests with cowpeas and soy
beans win be carried on to try to de-
termine the best sorts for producing
our own seed.
These are some Of the things that
have been attempted and many 9TH
er matters win come up from time TO
time, relative to live stock feeding.
and breeding. dairy work. silos. care
of orchards. etc, etc.
In Pettis County the sedalia Boos-
ters' Club lead out In the effort Of es-
tablishing the bureau Part Of the
funds were raised by subscription,
part BY the City School Board. and
part by the county court. The school
board gave the money in considera-
tion Of weekly lectures to the class in
agriculture.
Subsequent to this $1,000 was re-
ceived from the Crop Improvement
Committee Of the Grain Exchanges
at Chicago and later cooperation with