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

| ten per cent on IeeOS, 70 per cent on
seeds, and 80 per cent on fertilizers.
A business man will realize at once the
Importance of this branch of the work
and the sales should and do indicate
greatly increased proportions during
the coming year. This means that
some arrangement must be made to
handle the business other than that in
vogue now as it is altogether too much
to ask anyone to handle such business
without remuneration. The advisory
council is considering the matter of
forming an exchange separate from
the agricultural association which in
reality will take the cooperative buy
ing and selling departments of the as
ISOLATION. The two. while distinctly
separate, can work in harmony to the
advantage of both. If this move is
made it may be advisable to change
some of the rules and regulations of
purchasing to some extent but the
farmers can rest assured that they will
get what they purchase as near to the
wholesale price as it is possible to be
done. Every farmer should take an
interest and a pride in this important
phase of the work which means so
much to the farmers of Orleans county
| financially.
Cooperative selling is an undevel-
oped possibility which will be devel-
oped during the coming year. An eff
fort will be made to find better mar.
ket for fancy sugar, to find better
market for eggs and market for seed
potatoes in the south and perhaps some
other lines will be taken up. This part
of the work mast naturally move along
slowly, not because it will be difficult
to secure market but that there is
great deal to learn on the farmers
part in the way of grading and stand
ardizing his products to satisfy the
market.
| The seed potato proposition is we'll
under way and we have now in the
county some good reliable seed which
can be used the coming season so that
by another fall it will be possible to
ship several carloads of high-grade
stock to the market The project has
met with some difficulties this season,
some of the seed was not satisfactory,
although it was not possible yet to de-
tect it before planting. The wet sea,
son caused the presence of considerable
disease which injured the crop forsseed.
Several farmers with good seed neg
lected to follow directions and their
crops did not pass inspection. This
particular line of work is for the farm
| CI WIN W SIOW d large dCTcdSc
and who has the machinery to handle
the crop by the most improved meth
DDS. The directions furnished by the
association to the growers must be fol-
lowed in every detail if the best re-
suits are to be obtained. There are
great possibilities for the selling of
farm products to a better advantage
but great care must be exerted or dis
aster will result.
Aside from the things already men,
toned the county agent has had part
in the investigation of the milk situa-
ton by the Boston Chamber of Com
merce, most valuable piece of re-
search work. He has also arranged for
the Boys Stock Judging demonstra-
ton, attended three fairs with exhibits
assisted in the organization of boys
and girls club work, has aided farmers
in the treatment of abortion in their
herds and has co-operated with the
New England Milk Producers associa-
| ton.
From this outline of the work carried
on during the past year you can readily
see that the association is trying to
assist the farmers of the county in
practically every phase of the farm
business. Some of the work which lies
ahead seems like mountain but by
courage and the disposition on the part
of all to stand together, they will be
but cradle knobs when we reach them
The association needs the moral sup
port of every farmer and it needs the
financial support of everyone who will
support it morally. to accomplish these
results. The association has a suffi-
Gent income to support the county
agent and to take care of the running
expenses but the real efficiency will de-
pend on the amount of money the
association has available to expend in
projects which will materially advance
the larger problems of the association
to the farmers. 1t is a case similar
to the man who built house and when
he had finished it he had spent all his
money so he could not furnish the house.
thus he could not enjoy it. So it is
with the association. We have good
organization. we'll equipped to do bust
ness but we need more membership
dues to make it 100 per cent efficient.
This report deals with the more i'm
portant topics of work undertaken and
accomplished though there are many
details which would be of interest to
all if time would permit of their dis
cussion. The county agent wishes to
double his usefulness to the farmers
of Orleans county during the coming
year and it will remain for the farmers
themselves to make use of his time.
He will gladly make farm visits when
in the locality during the winter when.
ever requested and now feels that we
are on the verge of an even more sue
cessful year than the one just closed
and again urging the support and con-
fidence of every farmer in Orleans
county to the agricultural association
!; this report is respectfully submitted.
} Ray E. Deuel.,