The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1913-12-06

Bert Ball OF National Grain Exchange.
Agencies as other State Agricultural
Colleges and Experiment Stations.
Publishing Houses Of Agricultural
Colleges and Experiment Stations,
Publishing Houses Of Agricultural
Literature and Periodicals. AS Gov.
Hoard of the Hoard's Dairyman; Wis
cousin Agriculturist, George Brownell
Of the Michigan Dairy farmer; Mr.
Sanders Of the Breeders Gazette and
organizations of Livestock and Seed
Growers Associations from several
States. The lines of development and
improvement work Of this County has
not only been brought 10 the atten-
tion of outside OF parties but very i'm
portant lines OF work from outside the
County has been brought to the atten-
ton of our farmers and people of the
County aud much of il put into prac-
tice by them through the efforts OF
this office
INVESTIGATIONS and DEMON
STATIONS.
The work of investigation and dem
onstration for this County has largely
been combined One of the first things
we did in this County as before men
toned was TO obtain such farm data
and information from the farmers that
we could he of the most assistance to
them. Our aim has not been 10 WORK
with large numbers in any given en-
terprise. First because of the varieties
of conditions under which the farmer
is working: Second, because OF the
distance between farming centers en-
gsgd in the same type Of farming and
third, because OF the types of farm
ing.
All information has been treated
entirely as private and is held in
the Office for reference and records.
A more detail farm survey will be
completed in the future. These sur
veys or groups of actual conditions
or facts point out to us the more
prominent and necessary questions
that ought to be examined or dem
onstrated to the Agricultural people.
In order to obtain the full value
of demonstration work the co-operator
or farmer places himself in the posi-
tion of an investigator in finding out
which practices and products prove
most successful, therefore, most dem
onstration work has been confined TO
the individual rather than to com
munites or groups of individuals All
such demonstration work is handled
entirely with the consent or at the
suggestion of the co-operator excepting
in few cases where forms for records
have been printed upon such questions
as the obtaining of the general date
for seeding. planting, harvesting, and
elso frost data.
AT the present time cooperative
test have been made for butter fat
records of milk production for deter
mining the most profitable dairy
cattle; tuberculin tests for isolation
OF infected animals apple and pear
blight seed treatments such az for
potato scab and smuts, variety tests
OF wheat, oats. rye. barley potatoes.
corn and vegetables cooperation of
breeding associations and improve
ment OF horses Most of these CO.
operative enterprises have been work
ed through the advise and activity of
the County Committees of the Farm
Bureau. The County Agricultural
being their representative and agent.
Specific cases of cooperation along
various lines. amounting to about
one hundred and fifteen (l15l individ-
uals, are progressing nicely upon sug.
gestions FROM this Office some are
handling only one enterprise while
others are actually operating along
ten or twelve different lines. such as
variety test in potatoes. oats. barley.
peas, corn. rye. breeding and selection
of potatoes. fertilizers and line ex
periments. forage crop investigations
with peas and Vetch with oats; alfalfa
seeding with oats. or alfalfa alone.
lined or unlimed, inoculated or IN
inoculoated and on different types and
fertility of soils; farm accounting
and records of production of Dairy
G ows; Pure breeding or upgrading
OF cattle; variety type OF vegetables
and root crops; Spraying. Blight Con.
troll, crop ratations. Barn Budding
Plans for sanitation or economy. and
cultivation actices are some other
forms of co-oeration enlisted to date
The most stress however is given TO
secure better seeds and to limstock inn
provement.
At the present time there has been