The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-02-24
COUNTY FARMERS
PROF|T!NG FROM
SUGGESTIONS
Show Much Interest in Work Of
Agricultural Agent
RESULTS ARE BEING ATTAINED
Oats Gave Best Returns from Dem
onstration Plantings-Savines
in Fertilizer Cost.
RESULTS ARE BEING ATTAINED

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Working under the direction of the
Vermont State College. and the T. ).
Department of Agriculture in coop
GRAFTON with the Bennington County
Vermont Improvement Association,
your County Agricultural Agent has
continued the work established last
year. During the year ending Febru-
AIRY lst, | have visited nearly 800 Gif
ferent farmers on their farms, max
ing a total number of about 500
visits. During these visits with the
different farmers / have held consul
tations along many lines of tarm
work, methods of soil improvem,
fertilization of crops, methods OF rails
ing crops, live stock management.
farm management, accounts and such
matters which are of direct influence
on the farmers labor income. have
been considered and suggestions
made. Maintenance of fertility of the
farms in Bennington County, econo-
my in labor and expense, and the re-
sulting increase of profits of farming
are the aims sought. | find the farm
ers much interested in my work this
year While it is yet early to look
for many tangible results. it is never
the less apparent that Bennington
County farmers are making use OF the
suggestions madergbysrm me, and are
profting thereby Ss time goes on
this sort of work gathers momentum
and results grow more and more ap-
parent.
There have been several lines o.
demonstration work carried on by me
this year. The main demonstration
work has been with oats In this
connection 20 farmers have grown un
der my direction one acre of oats
each, and compared the yields anC
profits from these acres with equal
aces grown under usual conditions
The demonstration acres were handl-
ed differently from the others in that
lining was practiced, better prepare
tion of land called for, early sowing
attempted, and little more fertilizer,
and slightly less seed sown. The cost
of producing oats on the demOnstra.
tion acres was $500, an increase OF
S240 over the cost of producing an
acre of oats in the ordinary manner
Fifty-three bushels was the average
yield on the demonstration acres,
while forty-fve bushels was the aver
age on the other plots. ValuinE oats
at Csc per bushel, the profit OIL the
demonstration acres averaged $3.50
which is nearly three dollars bette"
than the acres handled as usual
This means than an IS per cent in
crease in profit was secured.
There were 20 corn demonstrations
and 10 potato demonstrations, as well
as the oat demonstrations just men.
toned Owing to the unfayornble
season, an early summer drought pre-
venting proper stand of potatoes in
many instances and an early fall t ost
cutting the corn before it was mature,
made the results of this demonstra-
ton work of little value. In several
instances where conditions were iav-
orable, good yields were secured In
one locality 80 bushels (by weight of
shelled corn were obtained, anG IN
another over $50 bushels of potatoes.
The results of the Boys and Birls
Club Work have just been made pub
lie, and they will only be mentioned
here. While somewhat outside of the
usual work of the County Agent,
nevertheless, encouraged this work
during the past year and had general
oversight of It during the season. The
highest yield of corn was at the rate
of 50 bushels (by weighD of shelled
corn to the acre and was secured BY
young man in Bennington. The
highest yield of potatoes was at the
rate of 424 bushels per acre. obtained
by boy in Sandgate. feel that this
work is destined to be of considerable
influence in forwarding the agricut
ure of this county and cannot too
strongly recommend it's extension. 1t
is necessary however, that a different
method of management be devised,
that it may be handled efficiently.
Other lines of work SO crowd me dur
ing the growing season that much
local aid will be necessary if this
work is to be continued.
In continuing soil acidity investiga-
tions inaugurated the year previous, /
secured last spring an apparatus for
Continued on Page g.