Imperial Valley press., 1920-12-14
MEL0LAND HOLDS
FINE MEETING ON
FRIDAY EVENING
! BY MISS ALMA ERHLER

ter, Meloland school house, Friday,
Nov. 10, 1920.
Attendance 100.
Committee on meat ring reported.
Assistant Postmaster Rogers said
rural route worked for by the Farm
Center had been granted and would
start Dec. 16.
Cecil Brown then gave very good
recitation.
This was followed by very good
violin solo by Earl Elliott, accom-
panied by Merle Elliott. who gracious
ly responded to an encore.
Farm Advisor Garthwaite gave a
report of the activities of the Farm
Bureau during 1920. Mr.. Garthwaite
said that the large amount of work
which the Farm Bureau did the past
year was small in comparison with
what could have been done. Some of
the things which the Farm Bureau
have done the past year are: The
purchase Of a moving picture ma
chine, which increased the interest in
center meetings; has started new
Farm Burau publication called the
Imperial Valley Farmer;" increased
interest in creating better soil condi-
tions; greatly improved drainage con-
ditions; increased use of barnyard
manure as fertilizer and consequently
decreased export Of barnyard ma
nure; introduction of purer cotton
seed; increased interest in pure milo
seed, which resulted in planting 49,
600 acres of milo carried on wheat
smut control; about 200 acres of veg
etables planted through the efforts of
the Farm Bureau; control of such
poets as blackbirds, ducks, gophers;
improving livestock herds; poultry
husbandry;l created meat rings; COW
testing ass ociation formed; helped
form Imperial Vegetable Growers
Association; bettered marketing con-
ditions by fostering associations as
California branch of the American
Cotton Association and Imperial Val
ley Vegetable and Melon Growers as
sociation; created plans whereby
farmers may go to local merchants
and buy in sack or crate lots whereby
they may save themselves 10 to 20
per cent; each farm center has COM
mittee working on better roads and
consolidation Of schools; helped boys
and girls clubs. Mr.. Garthwaite said
ne hopes the amount of work done by
the Farm Bureau in 1920 will be but
fraction of the work to be done in
1921. The amount of work in the
coming year greatly depends on the
way the people are going to back up
this organization.
Mr.. Havekorst then read a resolu-
tion adopted by the board of directors,
and also gave brief outline Of the
work adopted by the farm bureau for
next year, which looks like a vast
amount Of work, but with the cooper
alton of every farmer in the county
can easily be accomplished and which
will save for the members many times
the amount charged for membership.
While the Farm Bureau is business
proposition, Mr.. Havekorst said every
member is entitled to know where and
what the money is being paid for,
therefore read an account of all mon
ey taken in and spent by the Farm
Bureau.
Mr.. Irvine, manager Of the Farm
Bureau membership campaign, ex-
planned that, out of the $40 member
ship fees ($7.50 for men, and $3.50
for women) )h50 cents each goes to the
American Farm BureaU Federation
and 81 each goes to the state fedora
tion, so cents for each woman to the
home department and $1.5O for the
Farm Bureau publication. Mr.. Ir-
vine explained that though the ma
tional federation is not yet year
old, it has created enough propaganda
and distributed to the people enough
literature to- persuade them that the
farmer is not profiteeer and is but
entitled to cost of production plus a
profit, which they have not as yet
gained. The national federation is
endeavOring to create more stable
market which will keep the former
from being rich one year and poor the
next; they also are trying to get rid
of the middle man and speculator.
One example of the great work done
by the state federation is the great
estate Grain Corporation" which will
have a representative from Imperial
Valley. This corporation is working
now on state grain laws, which will
provide for state elevator and scales
to establish grades and weights.
Mrs. Farmer, county chairman of
the farm home department, discussed
the vast amount of work the home de-
partment is going to do and is doing.
Some of the benefits of the home de-
partment as shown by the fact
that two specialists are coming to the
valley within the next month, under
the auspices of the home department,
which are Miss Decker, home gar
ment specialist, and DR.. Easson, poul-
try expert, who will hold poultry dem
onstrations in various parts of the
county. Mrs. Farmer also announced
Miss Sechrist, assistant state leader
of the farm home department, will be
in the valley Dec. 18. Those hear
ing Mrs. Farmer could plainly see
the vast amount of work done by the
home department. Mrs. Farmer
stated that the aim of the home de-
partment isSgto maintain the highest
ideals of home life and to cooperate
with others for the common ends of
more abundant home and commun-
ity3li
Mrs. Earl Crawford delightfully."-
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