Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-12-16

dunn of a winter meeting and sum-
mer picnic materially increased their
membership. At the summer picnic an
exhibit of registered cattle was fea-
ture. Cash prizes were offered.
A sale of a carload of registered
animals purchased in Ohio resulted in.
number of members getting good
foundation animals.
Cow Testing Associations Organized
Eight different COW testing associa-
tons operated in the county during
the year. With an average membership
of thirty-ive the two hundred eighty
farmers had forty two hundred COWS
under test One of the Associations
was reorganiZed for its sixth year,
three for their second, while two are
still in their first year. One completed
years work and was not reorganiZed
while one failed to complete the year
due to difficulties with the tester.
Three of the Associations were en-
rolled in the States list of 100 per cent
pure bred sires associations.
Crop Improvement Work Carried On
While crop Improvement was not
taken up as a main project during the
yCdl SFSly OPpOA IuhICS "oo
utilized to stimulate interest in the
use of pedigree seed grains Di-
rectly and indirectly a thousand bush
els of pedigree grains were gotten to
farmers who wanted better seel. At
least fifty bushels of soy beans were
secured for farmers for planting,
mostly for silage purposes. 1t was
impossible to keep an accurate check
on corn disseminated. A hundred
bushels mostly Wisconsin developed
strains would probably cover the
amount. Help was also given in Sc
curing seed potatoes, two hundred
bushels the amount
Several demonstrations in treating
for scab and scurf were carried on,
one farmer doubling his yield on an
acre tract with treated seed as COM
pared with a check plot, the other
had a twenty-five per cent increase.
Soils
While agriculturally speaking Mar
athOn may be considered new County
and as such without any real serious
soil problems carefully conducted soil
analysis show that it is up to every
farmer to look carefully to his soil
if he would maintain profitable crop
! y
made substantiated the generally &C
cepted statement that all our soils
require lime to correct acidity but
also that thep hosphoric content is
being depleted emphasizing the i'm
portance of feeding bought concen-
trates also suggesting the possible
necessity Of use of some form of rock
phosphate.
Analysis of cropped fields and ad-
jacent virgin at Edgar reveals inter-
esting comparisons:
Edgar. Farm No. odd Field, Nj
trogen 4540; Phosphoric acid 1850;
Virgin Soil, Nitrogen 1900; Phosphor-
ic acid 1920.
Farm No. 2-Old field cropped 80
years, Nitrogen 374O; Phosphoric
acid 1O40; Field cropped years, Nj
trogen $3.50; Phosphoric acid 1910.
During the summer Prof. F. L. Mus
bach of the Marshfeld Station visited
the county and either in company
with the county agent or interested
farmers took samples from twenty
four farmers. Spencer s: Hatley s.;
and Elderon 10. Under thep Ian be-
ing followed by the state soil labora-
tory farmers pay $500 to $1,000 for
the service depending on the number
of farmers and the sizeZ of the farm.
Each farmer receives an extended re-
port showing soil conditions on his
farm also advising treatment and
cropping system to follow "a meet
ing will be called at each point to
which all the farmers who had an
alyses made are invited. At these
meetings Prof Musbach gives a most
interesting and enlightening presen-
tation of the soil problems of the COM
munity. Farmers are encouraged to
enter freely into the discussions. At
such meeting held at Edgar orders