Smyrna times., 1919-01-15
FARM BUREAU WORK FOR YEAR
Increased Cash Returns of Farmers
Reported for the Past Year.


Service of Delaware College, just is
sued. says: "More than $4,000 actual
cash returns have been added to the
incomes of Delaware farmers during
1918 through the regular and emer-
gency work carried out by the county
agricultural agents through their
county farm bureaus. This sum does
not represent that greater part of the
county agent work included in service
rendered to individual farmers and
communities, which cannot be meas
ured in terms of dollars and cents.
The record for the year 1918 show
that the three county agents in New
Castle, Kent and Sussex counties,
made 1888 farm visits, had 1411 office
calls on business, held 215 meetings
with a total attendance of 12,130 wrote
| 5000 letters and conducted % farms
demonstrations attended by 965
people. During the period covered,
Kent county was without an agent
two months and Sussex county for
four months, in reality an average
years work of 10 months for each
agent.
"Itemizing the major projects which
added $4,000 to the incomes of our
farmers, we find the aggregate made
up as follow: (D Increased prOduc-
tion of sweet potatoes by the use of
mushroom manure in Kent county.
$4,000; (2) increased value of dairy
cattle and calves brought into New
Castle and Kent counties, $4,000;
! (3) control of the tomato aphis in
Sussex county and in the remainder
of the state, $4,000; (4) increased milk
price through organizations $1,000; and
/ (5) seed selection of sweet potatoes,
! $1,000. Dozens of smaller items, on
which it is more difficult to place a
value are not included. The figures
are based on actual results secured
through the organization and efforts
of the county agricultural agents. u
Miscellaneous work done was:
Peach dusting and tractor demonstra-
tiOns in Kent county, special meetings
of grape growers, talks at regular
farmers Institutes, farm bureau ex-
hibits at State Fair, emergency work
| in control of hog cholera and poultry
cholera. In Kent county the county
agent vaccinated successfully 1886
fowls against cholera. All these were
in line with helping with the war. In
Kent and New Castle counties II seeC
corn meetings were held and 288 tons
of nitrate of soda were distributed
for the government at actual cost tt
500 farmers. More than 500 farmer.
were assisted in starting farm account
books furnished them by the Farm
Bureau. In cooperation with the De
partment of Agriculture and tn,
school authorities, state agriculture
and farm labor census was made. TIL,
county agent made a complete retail
food survey of Kent county. TIL,
county agent secured a complete lis
of threshemen in each county ant
complete report from each one of tn,
wheat threshed in 1918. Farm bur
eau committees made estimates Oh
the cost of tomato growing, which ha,
much to do with no price being fixed
Other features of work were get
ting furloughs for soldiers, tuberculO
sis eradication work started, plan
disease surveys conducted, cO-Opera
tive purchase of feeds and fertilizer
accomplished, two cow-testing as
sOciatiOns organized, one county corr
show held, a market secured for Ken
county growers of yellow tomatoes
demonstrations on blight control o
tomatoes, and seed treatment o
wheat for sinking smut demonstrat
ed. Hard coal was secured for swee
potato growers of Kent county.
The farm bureau executive commit
tee consists of seven men and thre
women in New Castle county, min
men and three women in Kent count
and eight men and two women in Sus
sex couty. The county executive com
mittee works with the farm burea
members through community commit
tees, of which there are 16 in Ne,
Castle county with 81 committeeman
18 in Kent county with 10 committee
men, and in Sussex county 18 with II
committeeman. The organization no,
reaches every farming community
the state.
Mrs. Laura Sipple, nee Knox, fol
| Y01p1, rpcidant Of He nj