Milford chronicle., 1918-07-05
FARM BUREAU NOTES

The time has come for the wheat
grower to prepare his granary before
putting in the wheat to prevent loss
from the black granary weevil and
the white worm, which has been so
destructive in past years The re-
suits obtained last year have proved
cOnclusively that where the black
granary weevil has been present in
previous years, it is a very profitable
proposition to spray the granary with
mixture of one quart of crude car
bolic acid and one gal.0n Of gasoline,
a week or two before the grain is put
into the granary. Il lis also well to
remove any old corn or last seasons
wheat that may be in the vicinity Of
the granary. and to thoroughly sweep
out the granary before it is sprayed.
A large number of farmers followed
this practice last year and with one
or two exceptions the weeWl was en-
tirely eradicated from the granary.
This year, when the crop Of wheat is
short and so badly needed by us and
our allies, it is all the more import
ant that extreme precautiOn should
be taken that none be wasted.
Some very interesting tomato spray
ing demonstrations have been started
in five Kent county tomato fields. II
is estimated that the crop yield was
reduced 40 per cent last year by sep
toria leaf blight. In New Jersey and
MARYLAND some very interesting re-
suits were obtained last year by
spraying. These different spray sol
utions are being tried this year and
unsprayed portions Of the field are
being left as checks to determine the
value of spraying. The solutions
used are as follows: One-half pound
bluestone and three pounds resin
fish sticker to fifty gallon solution;
2-4-5O Bordeaux with three pounds of
resin fish sticker added; and straight
Bordeaux. These three solutions are
being tried on the farms Of Henry
Ridgely, near Dover, and Dan Murray
near Viola. On the other farms only
part Of these sprays are being tried.
High pressure outfits with three
spray nOzzles per row are being used
in the demonstrations. Farm Bureau
meetings will be held at these dem
plots later in the season
when the effects OF the sprays can
be seen.
A considerable number of applica-
tiOns for month hands have been re-
ceived at the Farm Bureau Office and
these positions are being filled as rap
Idly as possible. It is rather difficult
at present to secure experienced farm
help at the price which the farmers
feel they are able to pay. A number
of boys of the Federal Working Re
serve have been placed on Kent cOun-
ty farms and thus far have given ex-
cellent satisfaction. Mr.. John Davis.
the Delaware Farm Labor specialist,
together with the County Agent, made
a brief survey on the labor condition
in the various communities this last
week. 1t was evident that in prac-
every community most of the
farmers could use one or more month
hands to advantage, bu; tnat no crops
were being wasted because of the
lack of labor to harvest them. During
tomato picking time and corn cutting
there will be greater needs than at
present and if necessary efforts will
be made to enlist volunteer town help
for emergency periods. This plan is
working out very successfully in Mid
dletown and Newark and there is no
reason why it could not be used in
Kent County if the occasion demands
it. The fact that the farmers are
helping each other during the harvest
season is relieving the labor situation
considerably and making it possible
to harvest crops of wheat and hay,
part of which would have gone to
waste had not cooperative measures
been resOrted to. We cannot hope
for a plentiful supply Of farm labor
for some time to come. and the soon
er we learn to cooperate in the mat
ter of labor to plan our work to the
best advantage the better off we will
be in the future.