Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-02-09
COUNTY AGENT
MAKES REPORT
Past Years Work for County 49,
ricuIturaI Association Outlined
About Every Farm Includes Dairy
Value of Dairy Products Exceeds
That of any Other Industry.

Members Windham County Agricultural
Association
For the fourth time l have the priv
ilege of reporting at your annual meet
ing on the activities of your farm bu-
reau for the preceding year. There has
never been anything striking to report,
but there has been steady progress, al
though it may not have been apparent
to everyone, and in 1917 the opportuni-
ties for service are greater than ever
before.
Although there are less than 10000
dairy cows in Windham county, we
must be classed as a dairy county be-
cause most every farm includes a dairy
and the value of dairy products far ex-
ceeds that of any other. Hence we have
been justified in combining the greater
part of our activities in the past to lines
of work relating to the dairy business.
The use of lime for better clover, the
raising of soy beans, the growing of
alfalfa, the corn and soy bean variety
tests, all have to do with the production
of better roughage for the dairy cow.
This is important because good rough
age is the basis of successful and eco
nomical feeding. On the marketing end
of the dairy business there has been a
conference of creamery directors from
the six cooperative ereamcries in the
county to discuss their common prob
lens. The services of E. s. Brigham IS
expert creamery man have been secured
to discuss local problems with the
director of two of the creameries.
Some time has been given in the in
terests of the milk shippers who are
working for a better price. Among the
other lines taken up are boys and
girls club work, home economies,
grasshopper control, and many other
less important items.
In connection with the above work
my weekly reports show the following
figures for the year: Miles travelled,
SOB; farm visits made, 82S; calls at
agent s office, 1877; total meetings in
which agent took part, 63; total attend
ance at these meetings, 3,6lS; articles
in newspapers, %; number of circular
letters mailed, 5,317; personal letters
written, 745; extension schools held, 4 q;
enrolment at schools, 230; gave assist
ance in the organizing of two farmers
clubs.
Glover is the great legume crop in
southern Vermont. Many trials have
shown that lime is of benefit in secur-
ing good stand of this crop. The farm
bureau now has IS plots where clover
is being grown and where parts of the
field were lined and parts left unlimed.
Owing to the past season being a very
favorable one for clover there has not
been as marked results from the use
of lime. On many of the plots there
were good clover crops on both the
lined and the unlimed. During an aver
age season we believe that the lime
on clover will give as marked results
as in 1914 and 1915. About $50 tons
of limestone was used in the county in
1916.
The soy bean is q new crop in Yer
mont, but its rapid increase already in
dicates that it is likely to become gen
orally adopted as another legume crop
for our dairy farms. During the past
season there have been % soy bean
demonstration plots i'll as many diff
fcrcnt communities. These indicate
that soys may be grown successfully
both with corn and by themselves, also
that incubation is necessary to secure
the soil improvement, but docs not
have any marked effect on the growth
above ground. Some 80 bushels of seed
was used in the county last season.
Grown with corn this amount of seed
would have been sufficient for nearly
$50 acres. The principal use of the soy
bean will be to mix it with corn in the
silo. However, there seems to be some
possibilities of using it for hay. Alto
gether the results with this new crop
are very satisfactory.
The alfalfa crop is being taken up in
a small way ON many farms. There are
Is plots which have been put in in
connection with the farm bureau work
Most of these are planned out to show
the value of lining, the need of inocu-
lation, and whether Grimm or common
seed is better for this section. Where
the plots have had fair chance they
have nearly all been successful Prog
ress with this crop is continual and dur
ing the past season at least 40 acres
have been shown.
Variety tests have been carried ION
with corn and soy beans in order to de-
termine the best varieties for this see
tion. Our experiment station made pro
tein determinations with the beans and
dry matter determination with both
beans and corn. The details of these
tests have been given in the News Let
tiers and need not be given here.
Our six cooperative creameries are of
vital Importance to the prosperity of
our hill towns. In connection with the
manufacture and sale of the $4,000
pounds of butter which they produce
there are many difficult problems which
are common to all. In order to discuss
these problems, the six creameries joined
in conference on January "a. Every
creamery was represented and Mr.. Fry
hotter, butter manufacturing specialist
and Mr.. Tolstrup, marketing field agent
for Commissioner f. S. Brigham, were
present to assist in the discussion. Some
very interesting points We're brought
out and it was voted to have another
conference about March |. At two of
the creameries the directors have had
special meetings to discuss creamery
matters with Mr.. FrYhoffer. Co.onera.