St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-08-08
GIVES REVIEW OF
COUNTY CROPS
Leland A. Wood, Agricul-
tural Agent, Says Watch
Potatoes For Blight.

County Agricultural Agent Leland
A. Wood in a recent interview with
CALEDONIAN reporter issued a
warning during the course of CONVEX
sation to the farmers and potato
growers of the county and state,
when in talking of the crop outlook
he said, I'm Caledonia county this
year, as elsewhere, we have much
larger acreage planted to potatoes
than for some years past and the
prospect for a big crop is good if late
blight does not strike them. Farm
ers should watch their crop closely
and spray with bordeaux mixture at
the least sign of the disease. as the
weather we have been having has
been right for it's quick spread"
Large Crop of Small Grains.
There also has been large acre
age sown to oats and barley in the
county this year, said Mr.. Wood, and
he went on to state that 25 acres of
wheat has been planted in every in
stance where there had been one acre
before. "Of course" he continued
although the indications are for a
fair crop of the small grains yet the
yield is questionable as regards COM
! parison with other years." When
questioned regarding facilities for
milling the wheat, should there be a
large yield in the county. he said
there would be no trouble on that
score as there was one mill at West
Danville for making wheat into flour,
and should there be enough wheat to
| warrant it other grainaries would put
| in portable mills.
| MilI Products for Cows.
Mr.. Woods answered very emphat-
| ically in the negative when questioned
as to the advisability of putting wheat
into whole wheat flour which has been
talked of considerably, For" said he,
I'VE have large herds that must be
fed and we need the mill products as
| far as possible to winter our stock
4 on" But all things considered the
| outlook for a large crop Of small
grains in comparison with other years
| is exceedingly good.
County Corn Crop Is Fair.
Shifting to corn, County Agent
Wood spoke of that crop as fair, but
he added, THAT is all that can be
said for it, He then went on to ex-
plain how corn had suffered this year
| by reason of a late spring and pointed
to the fact that unless late fall was
| forthcoming, there would be but very
| few fields of corn in the county that
would fully mature. But as to the
stands generally throughout the coun-
try taking weather into consideration
he spoke Of them as good"
Hay is to 20 per cent Increase.
A large yield of beans may be ex-
pccteG, and the yield per acre in this
county of hay over other years Mr.
Woods placed between 15 and 20 per
cent. He said, "Of course it must be
taken into consideration when speak
ing Of the relative hay crops, that
this year more land has been plowed
up than for some years, which will
decrease the total amount of hay to
some extent
There have been IA alfalfa demon
STATIONS in the county, most OF which
have been successful. Mr.. Wood sale
the alfalfa field owned by J. r. Moore
ample Of the crop. In this field there
is a small demonstration that has no.
been either lined or innoculated
This" said Mr. Wood, lis in yer.
poor condition, the other plots are
vigorous. green and. healthy and will
!; without doubt survive several hare
winters.
All Crops Will be Harvested.
Contrary to some reports, ther,
i. will be no county crops but what will
be harvested" stated the count.
, agent, although there are man.
farms in the county where men coul'
be placed at the present time. Man.
men have secured farm employmen
through the services of this offic
4 which relieved the situation in som
sections of the county. These men i
many instances have received as hig
as So per day and board" Farmer
4 who are in need of help should com
f municate with Mr.. Wood at the coun
Y / ty Office.
D A number of stock judging con
G tests and picnics throughout the coun
e ty were being arranged, but the &C
e ton of the state board of health re
: garding the holding Of such affair
: because of the spread of infantil
t paralysis precluded the possibility {
a holding any of them.
t Weed Out Poor Producing Cows.
In closing the interview Mr.. Woo
: left one parting shot to the farmers
Il the county. 1t was something tni
seemed to have been on his mind a
Z during the conversation, bnt the1
, was no place for it to work in.
was concerning herds. and the coun
agent seemed relieved to get it off h
mind for the time being at least.
Said he, Farmers cannot afford
@ have cows that are poor producers,
y added, especially considering tt
high costs of feed" He then went
n to say, Herds should be rigidly cul
te ed and cows that will not produ
le more than 225 pounds of butter t
t. per year should be thrown out.
o. that I mean cow which does n
%, give 5000 pounds of milk testing