Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-01-09
Reuiew of Years Varied Activities
of the Marshall County Farm Bureau

The character Of the work OF this
Marshall county farm bureau !,
generally known thruout the coun.
ty. but few persons. even among
those engaged In agrrlculture. realize
the extent OF this work. The scope o,
endeavor and the activities OF ths
bureau, thru It's county agent. Is best
shown In the annual report OF the
agent, w. A. Buchanan. The bureau
has Interested itself In many branches
of farm life and farm business, all OF
which have been summarized In the
report.
! The report covers the year from
! December, 1918, TO December, 1919, be-
ginning with review of the swine
/ and corn congress OF 1918. 1t u
shown that the congress brought 70
this city exhibitors OF corn from seven
! states other than Iowa. The swine
show was equally as successful. the fat
barrow classes being we'll filled. The
grand champion sold for $50 per humid
red weight and more than $1,000 was
realized from the sale of hogs.
Cow Testing Association.
! The Marshall County Cow TESTING
! Association. organized under the
county farm bureau, came into being
in December, starting the fiscal year
Jan. I with q full membership. Several
/ dairy meetings were held, n number OF
good sires were purchased and some
were sold thru the association. The
banner COW for the year produced Ss.l
pounds of butter fat In thirty days.
The farm bureau assisted In the
purchase of over $4,000 worth OF
pure-hred Herefords and Angus cattle
many Of which are as good ms money
will buy. The sale of pure-bred hogs
was very large.
! Institutes and Farm Accounts.
During the year two farmers insti-
tutes were hold. one at IeGrand ana
/ one at Melbourne and both were well
attended.
The education Of the farmer to use
farm account books proved difficult al
the outset but the system of farm
accounts gradually has won favor and
more than $40 books have been given
! int farmers hands.
| The bureau has started the distribu
| ton Of ground limestone thru channels
such as live stock shipping assoc'a-
! tions and farmers co-onerotlve ele-
vator comnanies. Limestone now may
be procured at any time. The price
! has been kept low to encourage us
! general use.
! income Tax Assistance.
| The county agents Office assisted
1875 men In making out income tax
reports and as a result saved an
average Of $40 for the taxpayers. TINS
assistance resulted In many new mem
bers being secured for the association
The labor bureau was instrumental
in placing ATT farm hands during the
year. AS many as twenty men a da!
we're placed during the corn picking
season.
Poultry and Orchard Demonstrations
! Tho program Of work usually carried
out at orchard and poultry degnonstra'
lions has attracted interest as Wen a.
! ENCOURAGING several farmers to spray
! orchards during the past summer ano
give more attention to the farm poui'
! try flock. Several modern type poultr!
! houses have been constructed anC
| fully 200 blue prints of houses have
! been sent out in answer to requests
Several modern houses have beer
built. The LeGrand Orchard Club pu
on a display Of apples at the count.
! farm which attracted much attention
i These apples were sprayed under TIT
Instructions Of r. s. Herrick, of Ames
and the demand for the apples greatly
exceeded the supply.
Much time has been spent In assist
ing members in securing good clover
seed free from noxious weed seeds. II
! has been the experience Of the county
! agent that good clover seed Is more DIFF
! fcult to get now than four or fivt
| years ago.
More Community Clubs.
A few more farmers community
clubs were organized during the year
These clubs held regular monthly
meetings at which agricultural sub
jects usually were considered.
The farm bureau was Instruments
in securing both the Poland China arc
Duroo Jersey swine futurities for tho
Marshall county fair which resulted II
the largest district futurities In Iowa
according to swine record associations
Wool Association Formed.
A county wool shipping association
of 1O1 members. was formed in the
l