The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-08-10
BE n NINGTON COUN TY
VERMONT IMPROVEMENT
ASSOCIATION NEWS

H11UUlhIlUM MtW1
The United States Government is
willing to aid the Bennington County
Vermont Improvement Association by
putting into the county an
Agricultural Expert
who will reside here from one to
three years. This expert will spend
his time with the farmers in confer
ences and upon the farms. He will
help them test the soil to determine
what fertilizers are to be used, he
will go to the orchards with them and
give them instruction in regard to fer
tilizing pruning, grating, spraying,
etc. He will study the crops, seeds,
etc, he will give them valuable coun-
sci regarding the raising and breeding
of stock and poultry, in short he will
be their counsellor and adviser in
everything pertaining to our agricul-
| tural interests.
The agricultural expert can render
an invaluable service to our county,
with the cooperation of the farmers
and the working forces of the Asso-
citation. He ought to be able to more
than double the agricultural output
of this county in few years.
Here is a single illustration of
what can be done, say with an or
chard. Eugene H. Lyman, a young
man starting in for himself purchas-
ed farm a few years ago in Hart
ford, Vermont. This farm had an or
chard of little over 300 trees. The
first year Mr.. Lyman cultivated the
soil, fortified it, and pruned some OF
the trees. The second year Mr.. Ly-
man continued cultivating, fertilizing,
pruning and also did some spraying
and grating The third year he con-
| tinued work along these lines. The
orchard Immediately responded 10
| this treatment, so that at the end of
the third year he increased the out
put of the salable apples of his or
chard by 6.25 per cent. This means
that he got
S625.oo instead of $4,000.
If Mr.. Lyman continues to treat his
orchard in this way and to graft all
| the trees that need grating in ten
! years from today he will increase the
output of salable apples from the
time when he took possession of the
orchard so that he will be getting
$2250.00 where he got $4,000 the first
year, or that he will have % IL bar
rel TO sell where he sold one barrel
when he took the orchard. This is
conservative estimate. Mr.. Lyman
last year won over $4,000 in prizes
at the State Fair with his fruit. This
would indicate that he has not only
increased the quantity, but also I'M
proved the quality, which of course
means an advance in the price that
he will be able to get for his apples.
What can be done in Hartford, Yer
mont, can be done throughout Ben
nington County. This orchard was
an ordinary orchard and has no ad-
vantages over any of the apple trees
in this county.
The boys of Windsor county. who
were in the corn growing contest last
year managed TO raise as high as 100
bushels of corn per acre, under the
instruction of experts. They raised
this where their fathers could not
raise more than 80 or 40 bushels per
acre in the old way.
Those who have studied the situa-
ton i'm Vermont and elsewhere feel
that Bennington county must have an
agricultural expert. The United
States Government will not put such
an agricultural expert into the coun-
ty, Notwithstanding that this associa-
ton has agreed to pay half of his sal
airy and expenses, which would
amount to about $4,000 a year, I'M
less the manufacturers, bankers and
farmers will join this association and
in this way show the Government Off
cials that they desire to better the
conditions in this county and will give
their expert a cordial welcome and
an efficient cooperation. The ex-
perts that they can help support are
very limited, and those counties show
ing the greatest amount of interest
and promising the most efficient CO
operation are he ones that will get
the expert. They are waiting now to
see how Bennington county responds.
Are You Interested?
DO you want to help make siren
uous efforts along this line? You can
render your county an invaluable ser
vice by taking hold of this on your
own initiative. We want everyone
interested in the first place to join
the Bennington County Vermont I'm
provement Association, in the second I
place, to get others to join. We must
have a large and live membership and
have il at once. Send your sl.0O to |
the Bennington County Vermont I'm
provement Association, Manchester. |
Vermont, with your name and address |
and we will send you our beautiful
gold button and certificate of mem
bership and put you down as a men,
Der. Get everyone near and far to 1
do likewise. We will keep every |
member informed with regard to the
work undertaken. We want every /
member to cooperate with us and be 4
an active member. This will give us
an organization that will appeal to /
the Government and will do the work
in our counfV