Republican farmer., 1918-12-20
ACREAGE CROPPED
 INCREASES THIRD
Fairfield County Farm Bureau Regards Its Work Worthy
 of County Support.

The Fairfield County Farm Bureau is facing a critical financial handi- cap. So serious has the situation become, that at the December meet ing of the Executive Committee 1t was voted to discontinue the depart ment of Boys and Girls Work after February l, unless the means to car ry on this work were forthcoming be- fore that time.
 Last year the Farm Bureau re- ceived from county funds oNly $1,- 900, instead of $6,000 as in 1917.
 The officers of the Bureau tried to meet the war emergencies which have called for an endless amount of edu- cationaI work and leadership in both food production and conservation. That these emergencies have been supported with considerable success is evidenced by the fact that the acreage under cultivation in the state has been increased thirty-ftve per cent. in the last two years, ill part at least through the influence of the Farm Bureaus, and by the attain l ment of the allotted goal of conserv- i ed products set by the U. s. Dept. of Agric culture.
 | There are employed by the Bureau | at the present time, five field work | CTS a county agricultural agent, a county club leader and three home | demonstration agents, one located in i Bridgeport, one in Stamford and one for the rural towns in the county. A secretary with one or two sten- ographers, as the need may be, com- prises the office fCfce.
 1 By farm visit, letter, telephone
 call and office call the county agent
 has personally communicated with 1872 farmers in the county, or an
 average of five per day.
 Other lines of work have beer i'm portant, especially emergency work
 The seed corn situation was the wors
 known in memory of the oldest in
 habitant The severe freezing weath-
 CT injured the germ, preventing :
 good stan1. Seventy-fve samples ot corn were taken and tested at the
 New Haven Experiment Station
 Through the fine cooperation of tht press many farmers learned of the
 poor condition of seed corn and test ed before planting.
 Poultry meetings and demonstra
 tions have been held to cut the cos
 of feeding and get rid of slackel
 hens Seven different parts of tht : county have had meetings with al
 attendance of 154. As a result ther has been a saving of 30 per cent. il
 the grain bill of each flock so cull : ed.
 The time of the Boys and Girla II department has been spent in stin ulating 8,135 boys and girls to great
 CT food production and conservation An estimate based upon reports an - records received from various part r of the county places the total valu l of products produced or conserved b s Junior Food Army members durin = the past season at $97,530.
 ); Early in January the representa- Il lives from this county will assembl
 to allot the appropriations whic S the county commissioners shall mak g during the next year. The needs 0 e the Bureau must be presented a n that meeting if financial backing Is t q come from that source. It is nov = entirely in the hands oS the loca . public as to whether or not the or G ganfzation shall continue in its worl
 An expression of opinion should b n made by every Farm Bureau support e CT to his local representatives who ar e going to the legislature next month.