The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-02-24
COUNTY FARMERS
PR0F|T|NG FROM
SUGGESTIONS
Continued from First Page

| testing soils for acdity. Since that
| time | have made over 100 soil acidity
| tests, and have found many SOILS IN
| this county that need lime. FARMERS
are quite interested in this sou TEST
| ing and will use considerable lime
this coming season as a result. Lime
would have been used before TINS tlms
if it had been possible to obtain 1t at
reasonable prices. In the town OF BEN
nington farmers have been quick TO
understand the value of lime since all
the finely ground limestone which has
been produced by the town stone
crusher has been purchased by them
as fast as made. The opening OF an
extensive lime-grinding plant in Pow
nal will make it easier for farmers TO
secure lime at reasonable rate in
the future.
In the matter of purchasing plant
food in commercial fertilizers ] have
been able to save Bennington county
farmers q considerable sum. Last
years 200 tons of raw fertilizer mater
als was purchased at saving OF at
least $4,000 Only small portion OF
farmers took advantage of home-mix-
ing and cooperative buying, which Is
responsible for this saving. Were
home-mixing to be universally prac-
ticed in this county over $4,000 an
nually would be saved TO Bennington
county farmers. Further than this a
larger sum would be saved through
the farmers learning the value and
effect of the different plant foods
purchased on plant growth.
In organization work | am continn
ing to get farmers together for the
purpose of discussing their problems,
and finding means to alleviate them.
Farmers are slow to see the necessity
OF this or to state the matter little
more correctly are quick to realize
the necessity, but slow TO originate
formal organizations. If farming is 10
advance in Bennington county, farm
ers must get together and grasp then
problems in Wholesale way. Sucn
organizations might be termed rural
boards of trade Price control or the
like is not the object sought, but ralh-
er community effort TO secure better
business methods and consequently
more profitable farming. Such organ
izations. furthermore, mean more ef-
fective work on the part of the county
auridnlfnraI that itself
worthy of the effort. ] am glad tol
state that farmers are readily coming
to this viewpoint The Dorset Farm
ers' Association. while not large, is
one of the best examples of co-operat- |
i've efforts i'm the state The county
agent has been present at nearly ev
cry meeting of this organization and
the farmers are beginning to apprec-
late the problems which confront |
them and to seek methods of solving |
them. The Bennington Farmers AS |
ISOLATION has continued this same |
work though not as effectively. !
hope to see in the coming year
least three times the number of farm
er's organizations than there are at
present.
Having given a brief report OF l.,
main lines OF work which have un-
dertaken, | will now turn to the min
or lines of work Chief among these
has been the cooperation with ten
orchard owners in the county spray
ing, pruning and general management
of orchards. The results were very
Apple maggot, common
ly known as railroad work. very
insect. was successfully
combatted This insect has never sur
rendered to any ordinary treatmea
up to four year ago Two plots OF al
falfa were started in cooperation with
two farmers in different localities.
Ten plots of a mixture of winter oats
and vetch were placed in as many
places. This mixture promises to be
Of considerable help in increasing the !
hay yield, but its effectiveness VIII |
not be fully determined until the com
ing hay crop is cut The proposition
Is to add to oats leguminous crop o. I
high feeding value Being winter
crop, sown in the spring it does not
mature grain the first year but grows
Up in the oats and gives mixture of :
getch and oat straw for feeding, which,
las more value than oat straw alone
rhe following spring it grows up with
he clover and grass sown the year !
previous, increasing the crop yield APP \
so per cent. One realiz- II
IS the value of this, furthermore, {
when one learns that vetch as forage i
S richer than alfalfa.
BY automobile and road have G
travelled nearly $500 miles this year, e
which is less than last year by 25 per
,ent. BY train have travelled ap- I
$500 miles, making tot =
Il of 5000 miles, H.
In connection with publicity begI
o state that have addressed 35 meet i,
ngs with a total attendance of LOO /
PERSONS. Several articles have been 2
published along different lines OF
at least to the extent of ten. r
rhe matter of publicity by means of n
he printed page has not been partic. +
llarly emphasized for the reaSonl l