Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-10-20

time the lan0 is seeded down.
1t is planned to carry on practically
the same kind of forestry demonstra-
tons next year as were carried on this
year only on other farms. In addition
something will be done in an attempt
to improve the pasture in the way of
eradicating the same of the ferns
which monopolize too much of the
land Another year we shall look for
more definite results from our demon
strations. 1t has heen somewhat dis
couraging in some cases when the plan
of the demonstration has been ex-
planned to the farmer to find that,
upon the first visit to the demonstra-
ton, the farmer knows very little
about it. having put it in in careless
and haphaZard manner.
During the first week in January,
1915, assisted by force from the state
agricultural college a farm manage
ment survey was made of II of the
farms in the town of Irasburg and
Bloomington. The details of this sur
vey may be seen by the charts on exhi-
! bition at this meeting. At first the
value of this survey may not impress
the farmer very strongly but after a
careful analysis they will prove that
in no other way can a farmer analyZe
himself or his farm business quite so
accurately as by a survey of this ma
ture. He can find the places wherein
he is below the average and those
where he exceeds the average and in
the coming year lay more stress and
energy on the weak points as shown by
the records. This work is to be con-
tinued as it gives the county agent a
line on the true agricultural conditions
as nothing else can do.
AS was planned last fall three series
of meetings were held in eighteen diff
ferent community centers of the coun
ty with an attendance of between five
and six hundred at each series. By
this means the county agent comes in
contact with greater number of
farmers than in any other way. At
the first series a local chairman was
elected to look after the association in
terests locally and at the same time a
town representative to the advisory
council was elected. While this type
of local organization is rather informal
it has all the advantages and not some
of the disadvantages of more formal
| organization.
The local meetings will be started
again during the month of November.
| By the support of these local meetings
| the life of the county organization is
clearly reflected and we urge a special
effort to be put forth by each local
chairman and interested member to
help make the meetings greater sue
cess this year.
The subject of the first series will
be something on the feeding problem.
The second series will take up the
maple sugar problem and it is hoped
that it will be possible to have some
one thoroughly acquainted with the
sugar industry to assist the county
agent. Special attention will be given
to methods of packing and selling of
fancy sugar by parcel post. The coun-
ty agent hopes to have variety of
packages to exhibit which the farmers
can purchase. The third series of
meetings will consist of talk on farm
management Or fertilizers.
In addition to the local meetings two
extension schools will be held during
the winter in the localities which get
their applications in first. Two were
held last year. one at Bloomington
Center and the other at West Glover.
Both Of these schools were counted g
success and 1--WE look forward to two
equally good ones this winter.
Cow testing associations. Since the
last annual meeting the county agent
has organized one COW testing associa-
ton in the town of Derby taking in E
few herds in Holland and Morgan.
This association has tested over Csc
cows during the year and is in a very
thrifty condition as are~~the other asso.
Citations throughout the county except
for the IraSburg and MissisQuOi Valley
association in which the interest has
been on the Wane for couple of years
While the latter is inactive at the pres.
ent time the county agent is consider
ing a new plan whereby the farmers ir
these localities who really appreciate
he value of having their cows tested
will not be forced into the ordinary
slack way Of managing their herds be-
cause their brother neighbor does not
care to have his COWS tested. This
new system will probably not be begun
until next spring.
Farmers Exchange. In this depart.
ure of the work the county agent has
been able to assist in the transfer OF
considerable amount of stock and OF
farm products. In one case he helped
to sell several hundred bushels of high
grade oats, induced Boston party tt
come to Orleans county and buy a cal
load of COWS and SO on with other lines
but the farmers have not been as
prompt in taking advantage of this de.
partment of the association as with
other lines of the work. The county
agent has received requests, from par.
ties outside of the state, to locate
three or four carloads of high-grade
cows but had to reply that he did moi
know where to find such. First be-
cause the farmers did not keep him in
formed as to what they had to sell anc
secondly because the county agent has
no proof of the quality of the available
stock. The farmers must realize that
they must use something besides scrub
bull and have their stock tested thai
buyer may have some definite assur
ance that what he is buying is not al
talk if the farmers want to sell thei1
stock for better prices.
To make the farmers exchange 6