Norwich bulletin., 1916-06-14

Wsa4t1Ccote. to perform with new crops and new methods the experiments which fur nish science with the necessary data for practical recommendations.
 Prominent in the first class are the 15S, 500 crop correspondents who make possible the government estimates of crop production and values. Trained take the reports of these men and by careful comparison and averaging ar- rive at a knowledge of actual condi- tions throughout the country which could not be obtained in any other way. The information thus secured and published by the government is an in- valuable guide to the farmers and business men of the country and an effective obstacle to reckless specula- tion and the manipulation of prices. possessed by any one individual would necessarily be limited to local condi- tions and 1t is no longer local but na- tional and world wide conditions that regulate business. This fact Is occa- sionally overlooked by persons who are surprised to find that short crop in their own section may be accompanied
 by low prices and are in consequence inclined to question the accuracy of
 the government estimates.
 A corresponding service is rendered
 the weather bureau by its corps of ob-
 servers. The reports from sea cap-
 tains and mates have already been
 mentioned. In addition, there are
 4, ,560 observers who report tempera-
 ture and rainfall regularly, 2,770 who
 display of disseminate forecasts and
 warnings, and 1900 who report weekly
 during the crop growing season upon
 the effect of weather conditions.
 Tn it's researches and investigations
 the department is also in greas meas
 ure dependent upon reports from CO.,
 operators. Fifteen thousand railroad
 station agents. for example, have been instructed by railroad officials to fur
 Eish the office of markets and rural
 organization with postcard reports of shipments of perfShable crops whicta
 are used in the market news service of the office. This service was inaug- urated last year to aid dealers and l producers in the economical and eH1- cient distribution and marketing of 1 such crops as strawberries, canta- | loupeS peaches, early onions, etc. Tar 1 ifs and other data are also supplied by 1 the railroads, the cotton exchanges and individual firms send quotations l samples and other information; 400 l cold storage plants report monthly on l their holdings of apples; 800 millers grain dealers, chambers of commerce etc, furnish the bureau of plant in- l dustry with data in connection with the work of grain standardization, and l 1,20o creameries and cheese factories
 report to the bureau of animal indus try. These, of course, are only a few l instances out of many. They serve tC
 show, however, the ways in which tht l department keeps in touch with prac- | tfca1 business conditions and is assist. ed blythe same men whom 1t is work ing to assist.
 ! kz.- ..f- are the thousands of farmers who, un der the supervision of departmen
 specialists, are working out on Onei own farms the methods recommends by scientific agriculture; the boys ant I girls of the pig, poultry, corn and can
 ming clubs, who are demonstrating tn neglected possibilities of profit in thes
 fields; the women who have adopte'
 for their own benefit and as a mean
 of inStructing their neighbors i'm
 proved methods in housekeeping; tn
 S0.946 members of the farm bureau
 and county associations which suppor county agents in the northern an
 western states; nearly 10000 leaders i club work for community welfare an the state officials who aid in extensio p work in the distribution of anims serums and vaccine and in other way This demonstration work is of tn
 utmost importance in the spread ( | sound agriculture. 1t is almost i'm , possible to name the many forms . which it is being carried on. but on
 instance of its effect in Alabama is il ! lurninating. A few years ago crimso i clover was an. unknown crop in ths state. The department decided aftt i. considerable study that 1t was one { : the most suitable 1egumes for the sex 7 tion and determined to introduce . The farmers each ; in ten countil 2 agreed to plant one acre as an exper A. kn.-. z 25O, ,000 acres in crimson clover In Alt 2 bama- The object lesson had had i 3 effect.
 n Another important demonstration r progress at the present time is con V 1 cernedswith cultural methods for eug; v beets. In this 1000 farmers are takiT q l part Another thousand in the ar c l areas of the great plains are plantir : trees ito nalzs shelter belts as recon q meuded by the department and a. a making their farms meeting pla, D for their nesghbofs. In the cotton be q 80 farmers are demonstrating the at L vantages of superior varieties and in e proved cultural methods and 50 z South Carolina and Alabama are shov ]. ing hoW to breed wf1t-resistant cottS [ and are producing for sale seed Of v; a rietfes developed by the department n The third way in which farmers a E actively co-operating with the depar
 ment is fin the conduct of experiment fl These are as varied as the demonstrs | tfons. Sixty farmers are now furniss ,- ing the land and labor for experimen = in corn improvements and 80 are aidil ,t the tobacco work oz the department ,. the same way. Seed corn furnished [ Ie the department is being tested by 6 E farmers who. to a certain extent, a ,r also demonstrating the varieties tn lI l.test.
 le Without the assistance which it T Il cefved in these and similar ways, t d department of agriculture could n h do the work it does. The fact th L- hundreds of thousands of practiC ir farmers and business men find l- worth their while to devote time le cates.. that they believe them vial