Norwich bulletin., 1917-07-21
SPRAYING DEMONSTRATION.
Potato Growers Receive Valuable in' struction From B. c. Southwiek.

<s -z SPRAYING sOEMONsI hATiON' Potato Growers Receive Valuable In-
 struetion From B.. G. southwiek..
 -
 4. woodbury> O. Rogers, secretary of the Farm Bureau gave very success ful spraying demonstration in his 20 acre potato patch at Norwich Town on Tuesday last. About thirty of the large potato growers of the county were present and received valuable tn- struction from B.. G. Southwick, ex- tension agronomist of the Connecticut the process as MT. Rogers carried 1t out and answered questions. The spray material used was bordeaux mixture ofsa 5-5-50 strength to which pounds of paste arsenate of lead was added. The stock solution was made by dissolving 50 pounds of copper sul- phate in 50 gallons of water and slak- ing 50 pounds of fresh lime in an- lution was placed in barrel and di- luted with 25 gallons of water. similar quantity of the lime solution was diluted with like amount of wa ter in another barrel and equal quanti- ties from these barrels were slowly mixed together until the whole 50 gall Ions were thoroughly mixed. Profes- ssor Southwick especially emphasized the need of this method of mixing in order that material will stick better to the plant otherwise the cost of ma teria1 and labor is practically lost.
 After the five pounds of arsenate of lead had been added the whole solu ton was placed in the sprayer. The Iron Age two horse potato sprayer equipped with a double action pump and carrying 12 nozzles covering four rows. With this arrangement all sprayed from the top and both sides. This arrangement will also handle spray material needed to reach the plant life of aphis which have been reported as, doing considerable damage to the potato crop in other parts of the Staate this year. After the demon stration trip of inspection was en- joyed by all around the farm, many comments were made on the nice con dition of the crop which was in full bloom.
 Canning Demonstrations.
 Two demonstrations were given last week by volunteer demonstrators, one at Lebanon Grange hall, Thursday aft ernoon. Both demonstrations were well attended and Miss Katherine Hunt and Miss Camilla Healey de- serve great credit not only for offer ing their services to the Farm Bureau but also for making the demonstra tion such a success. Miss Hunt and students at the Willimantic Normal school who attended one weeks course In canning at Storrs. As the de- mands for canning demonstrations are Demonstration Agant. can fill. these young ladies very kindly volunteered their assistance and the results are very gratifying.
 Garden Supervisor Sheldon Demon
 strates Canning.
 Norwich Garden Supervisor Sheldon reports as follows:
 From now on conservat tion of excess garden produce by canning is to be Garden movement. In this way 1t Is hoped to take care Of any surplus pro- duction that there may be in Norwich due to the extra gardens planted this year. - It is also hoped that by this method 1t will be possible 10 reduce living costs to some extent.
 Demon strations are being arranged in connection with the Home Gardens in various sections of the city which hither- to fore has been impossible to reach Saturday a demonstration of canning peas. string beans. and beets was given in the J. B. Martin Co Velvet mill before their employees who showed intense interest in the dem onstration.
 Gull Out the Non-Producers.
 Professor w. F. KirkPatrick of the Connecticut Agricultural college writ es that 5o0,000 hens in Connecticut ought to be killed before September 1; and further. that if these drones are kept they will consume 50,000 bushels of edible grains with no return what ever. He urges that it is q distinct economic loss to waste food on drones when these may be culled out with great accuracy by a poultry expert and sold now. That this is possible is shown in the following item taken from the Connecticut Agricultural Col lege Press Bulletin. During the last week of June the flock of E. s. >Edger- ton of Vernon, Ct. laid an average of 1s3 eggs daily. which was an average of 5o.2 per cent. On Monday, July 2, R. F. Jones of the Extension service. Connecticut Agricultural college, and County Agent John E.. Clifford of Holland county. visited the farm and culled the flock eliminating 96 hens. The week following the demonstration. the 2O9 hens left in the flock average 14S eggs per day or 70.S per cent. The flock was reduced -31 per cent. by the culling process, while the egg pro- duction decreased 9 per cent. A part of this 9 per cent. decrease Is due to the fact that al this season of the year a. drop in egg production Is normal in practically every flock, and part Of it is due to the fact that a number of the culled hens may be laying an egg or two occasionally, although not enough to pay their board. At any rate. by sacrificing little over dozen eggs a day. 1t was possible to eliminate the cost of feeding e5 hens and raise the production percentage of the flock from 50.2 per cent. to 70.S per cent.
 Poultrymen wishing 10 take advan tage of this opportunity to save both money and, grain should get in touch with the County agent who will ar range to have a poultry expert from Storrs come to the farm and cull out the non producers without expense to the owners.