The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-12-09
FARMERS WEEK
An Aid in Increasing Net Returns
From the Farm.

MIA State College VIII be held THIS
year December 29 to January 3.
Over 100 lectures and demonstra-
tions of interest and practical value
to farmers will be given. The courses
are open to women as well as men.
The department of Home Economics
will conduct a section throughout the
week which should be of special in
terest to women. The program is so
arranged that the specialist as well
as the general farmer can attend eX-
ercises of interest to him through
out every period of the week
Agronomy-The soil is our great
est natural resource. Our prosper
ity as nation depends upon main
tanning the crop-producing power of
the soil at high point. 1t has been
demonstrated that soils can be
profitably maintained if the proper
methods of tilling and fertilizing are
followed. knowledge of the charac-
ter and needs of particular soils is
needed in order to know the best
methods of handling them. A chem
ical analysis of a soil does not dis
close the fertilizer needs of that
soil. Soil types are based on physi-
cal rather than on chemical proper
ties. The soils of the state have
been pretty well surveyed and the
types determined. Soils of similar
type have the same needs and crop
adaptations. These types with their
adaptations and needs will be dis
cussed. Improving soil fertility the
economic use of manure, buying
plant-food more intelligently, the use
of lime and the growing of clover,
better seed, the improvement of
farm crops, alfalfa, are other sub
jects which will receive consideration
during the week. Practical eXer-
cises in judging corn and figuring
! fertilizer formulas will be conducted.
Director Charles E. Thorne of Ohio
| Experiment Station, and Professor
Andrew Boss of the University of
Minnesota, will be present to take up
| subjects upon which they are recog-
nized authorities in this country.
Director Thorne is pioneer in agri-
cultural research and no one has
done more than he for permanent
Improvement in agriculture. Farm
Management is recognized to-day as
an important factor in increasing net
returns from the farm. Professor
Boss has given this question a great
deal of attention and during the
week will outline the results of some
of his investigations.
Animal Husbandry-The animal
husbandry program for Farmers
Week includes in addition to lectures
on livestock subjects, practical dem
onstrations in judging livestock and
in meat cutting. Each lecture and
demonstration will be followed by a
general discussion upon the subject
under consideration. Beef cattle,
horses, sheep and swine will receive
consideration. The selection of an
imals of proper type for the produc-
tion of beef is one of the fine arts
which the farmer practices. Breed
ing of the Aberdeen Angus and Short
Horn cattle as we'll as representa-
tive types of Hereford and Galloway
are kept by the college.
The Most Expensive Item of Diet
To-day is Meat-Since the meat of
the finished product depends upon
the cost of the raw material used in
producing that product, it is inter-
esting and profitable for the feeder
to know what it costs to produce
beef. This subject is of special in
terest at this time and Pennsylvania
now offers opportunities for the pro-
duction of beef cattle. The results
of experiments in fattening cattle
which have been conducted for a
number of years, will be outlined.
Dairy Husbandry-The production
q, of milk is an intricate business prop
osition. The demand for it is gener-
al. The cost of production, the vol
ume of business, the wedding out OF
Improbable animals and the selec-
tion of sires, are all factors which
will be given prominence in the dairy
program for Farmers Week. The
work which has been done by Doctor
Armsby with the respiration calori-
meter is revolutionizing the business
of feeding. With the price that it is
necessary for the dairymen to pay
for these feeds the question of Sc
lecting those which will give the
most economic results is one of vital
Importance. Practical exercises in
figuring dairy rations will be con-
Quoted. AS an illustration of what
may be accomplished by the more
careful selection of feeds, based up
on their energy values, one man who
attended Farmers Week a year ago
states that as a result of his visit
he was able to save his expenses in
his feed bill alone inside of two
months after his return home. These
things mean greater than net return
The manufacturing side of the
dairy business will also receive con-
sideration. The creameryman as
we'll as the patron of the creamery
has problems to solve. Some of the
more important of these problems
will be discussed.
horticulture The horticultural
part of the program will consist OF
three sections: One on fruit, one on
market gardening and one on fori-
culture. Proper spraying, pruning
and fertilization are imperative if
satisfactory results are to be obtain
ed. Investigations conducted by the
Experiment Station have shown that