The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-11-26
FARM BUREAU ANNUAL SESSION
Continued from Page ~

Emergency Work.--All through the
wear there has been shortage of farm |
help and during the season the Farm
Bureau in cooperation with other organ
izations has been able to place AZ men |
and boys to help the different farmers for
various things at the time. In eonnec- |
ton with the draft, many agricultural |
men have been assisted III making out |
questionnaires and at least 20 cases have
been investigated and the additional evil
dence furnished the draft board has re-
suited in most of these cases being re-
classified and the farm laborers kept on
these farms
In the spring corn and other kinds of
seed were very scarce and termination
very poor. To assist IN this matter
survey was taken of the local seed sup |
ply and 2l29 bushels of seed corn from
~ different farms were sampled and ger
mination tests made at Burlington. Two
thirds of the corn sampled was not tit TO
plant under any conditions. Only 23l
bushels tested above 90 per cent germi |
nation. \ list of those having good seed |
for sale was published and a large mum
Der of farmers were assisted in locating |
their seed supply.
Assistance was given several communi- |
ties in organizing cooperative fertilizer, |
lime and spray material orders Sixty |
tons of fertilizer. 80 tons of lime and |
approximately GOO pounds of spray mate |
rial were ordered by different groups of |
farmers in this way with Il saving OF |
around SlO0.
During the spring a campaign was con
Quoted TO increase the production of home |
grown wheat and other grains in order |
| u,olrn o,i,. forms nalr Salf -SuSt n in |
! ing as possible. 4 survey taken in June
showed that 700 acres of wheat We're
being raised in place OF - the season
before. The production of oats grown
was nearly doubled.
| Poultry Work-An effort has been
made TO place poultry on profitable
basis Through the assistance OF 4. l..
Smith, of the I. S. department OF agri
culture. IL culling demonstrations have
been held and the methods OF selecting
profitable birds has been explained and
demonstrated. At the demonstrat ionsl
i .l25 birds have been cullcd and from
this number 1913 or 50 per cent. have
been thrown ont. Figuring the cost of
keeping a hen at 25c. month the saw
ing from the disposal of the boarder hens
culed out at demonstration meetings
means q saving of Sl2l month in feed
alone. Careful culling year after year
with good care and careful breeding will
almost revomtionize the poultry bust
ness.
} Farm Finances Some time has been
given TO the Fort drummer Farm
Loan association and through the Federal
, Land bank at Springfield S29,450 have
been loaned to 10 farmers in Windham
county. Many were assisted in looking
up their income tax returns and as re-
suit large number are keeping farm ae-
; counts for the first time. During the
wear l1J farm account books have been
furnished upon the request of farmers
in Windham county.
, Organization Work.-Assistance has
been given in completing several organ
izations South Vernon farmers have
4 60 operated with Northield Mass, farm
crs and organized cooperative exchange
for the purchase of grains fertilizers. etc.
In South Londonderry the Green Noun
1 tain Farmers exchange has been organ
4 lied and incorporated for the purchase
: of farm supplies and the sale of farm
e products. During the year the Maple
Ridge and East Dover Farmers clubs
4 have been organized and some buying
and selling have been done and many
: successful meetings held During the
!, early summer the produce growers organ
!, lied at Brattleboro, bringing about a
more even distribution OF the straw berry
crop and better prices
Boys and Girls Work Once more we
must thank the Vermont National bank
for financing the Nindham County Pig
club. Ninety boys and girls secured pigs
\ through loans from this bank and 81
/ raised their pigs To maturity and pro-
duced approximately 1000 pounds OF
| pork valued at 81 500
During the spring p seed testing dem
| Onstratons were given III the schools by
J.. c. Hayward of the Vermont Exten-
sion service. who assisted in the county
work
L. Disease and Insect Troubles The po-
tota mosaic is a disease which has only
| received attention during the past sea
son. A large number of fields have beer
Inspected and the disease seems to b,
very prevalent, causing a very consid
cradle decrease in Weld.
The saddled prominent caterpillar
have attacked many maple orchards il
the southern and central parts OF tn,
county. In many cases the trees were
entirely stripped of foliage. After look
ing up the experiences of farmers il
other states where this pest has occurred
ii was found that there were no practica
methods Of control, but that after two o.
three years they usually disappear a
quickly as they come.
Plant lice have been very plentiful il
some sections where potato. turnip am
garden crops have been attacked ant
some nearly destroyed. There were out
breaks of aphids in BrattlebOro, Below
Falls, Windham, East Dover and man,
other sections.
hiscelaneous.--Th Farm Burea
News, our monthly publication, has bee
enlarged and paid advertising added an
through the generous patronage OF tn
business institutions in the county it ha
been made self-supporting The Hon
Economics department has also been add
ed TO this publication. Eight hundre
and fifty copies are mailed each month.
During 1913 the paid up membershi
in the agricultural department of tn