The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-08-19
COUNTY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCI-
ALTON EPARTMENT OF The
COUNTY PAPERS.

vermont Improvement Association the
latter will hereafter have two columns
in the weekly edition of the County
papers and also in the Wednesday
daily edition of the Bennington Even
ing Banner.
. Previously the Association has pub
lished a monthly paper, The Benning-
ton County Review, but it is thought
best hereafter to put the matter
formerly contained in the Review in
the regular County papers. This sec
ton will include articles on better
framing, road work, better school and
topics Of general interest along inn
provement lines in the County. Every
reader of the papers should watch
these columns carefully.
Annual Meeting of the County I'M
prOyement Association
The annual meeting of the Benning-
ton County Vermont Improvement
Association will be held in the Court
House, Bennington, on Saturday af-
ternoon, August 2Sth, 1915. Every
member of the organization in the
county should be present. Make this
day vacation day from your work
and come to Bennington, see your
friends, do your trading and attend
the meeting at 2 p. m.
Mr.. Bartlett, the secretary Of the
organization, will give an address on
"What Results May We Reasonably
Expect From a County Association 2"
There will also be election of officers
and other business.
What the County improvement Asso-
citation is Doing
1t is a pull all together that brings
results, two men pulling together can
accomplish much more than two men
pulling in different directions, the men
and women of Bennington County
pulling together can accomplish very
much more for every individual in the
County than they can if pulling in
different directions with many not
pulling at all.
The Bennington County Vermont
Improvement Association is the citi-
zens of the County joined together to
carry out a constructive program for
County development.
The work is carried on through a
board of Is directors chosen by the
members at their annual meeting to
serve for term of three years, five
being elected each year. These direc
tors choose an executive secretary and
are responsible for the conduct of
the work
The organization is not aiming at
doing great many things but at
selecting few of the most important
things and doing these things well
The Association aims to cooperate
with all organizations in the county
working toward civic, social or eco
nomic betterment. 1t assisted in the
conduct Of the County Good Roads
meeting, the County Teachers meet
and the County Picnic. 1t co-operated
with the Green Mountain Club, the
Civic League, the Parent Teachers
Association, local village improvement
and district nursing associations, etc.
Agriculture
Bennington County has fine farms
with prosperous farmers and it has
fine farms on which farmers have diff
ficulty to make living, it has hillside
farms where thrifty farmers are max
ing a good living and hillside farms
which are deserted and on which the
buildings are falling to decay. 1t has
farmers whose apples rotted in the
cellar last year or were sold for a
price which hardly paid for hauling
to the railroad, while in Bennington,
North Adams, and surrounding cities,
Oregon apples brought large prices.
To make the county more prosper
Gus by making farming more profit
able is one Of the first objects Of the
Association. For this purpose
County Agricultural Agent, Mr.. John
l.. Sherman, is maintained. The ex-
pense is divided between the United
States Department Of Agriculture, the
various towns of the County and the
Association itself.
The County Agent gives his entire (
time to promoting scientific methods
and sound business policy on the ;
farms. Last summer improved meth
DDS of growing oats and corn were {
demonstrated. The work with oats !
resulted in an average increase of 10 Z
bushels per acre on 20 plots. One
corn demonstration reported a so per- {
cent increase in yield over his check I
plot. During the year two extension !
schools and eight livestock demon I
STATIONS were conducted, over 200 soil /
samples were tested and lime was '
applied on ten one acre plots for the |