The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-02-20
FARM BUREAU MEETING.
Continued from LIST Page

town assessments OF 81 1850 and $3.50. 30
for advertising The expense account
shows disbursements of $3,233.52, which
includes S2.3O302 for salaries of County
Agent, A. w. Sweeton, County Agent w.
y. Frost and Home Demonstration Agent
Lucy G. Swift, the remainder being used
for printing, garage and other necessary
bills
Inasmuch as officers are elected
biennially and there was no election in
the annual meeting in November, 1918,
no officers were elected today. There
was some discussion regarding a change
i'll membership fee and it was unaili-
mously agreed to increase the fee from
81 to 50 in order to maintain the Farm
Bureau in self supporting way. It
also was voted to have budget for 1920
drawn up and to have the secretary send
out financial statement, including the
budget, to all the members, this to be
followed by a second letter and a call
from the respective town directors in in
stances where the members do not renew
their membership within a reasonable
time.
Except for the introductory, County
herewith practically in full:
Past Work of the Bureau-In six
years of faithful service Arthur
Sweeton as a successful leader directed
great strides of local progress. Your
communities were brought into closer
cooperation through meetings and the
formation of clubs. The use of lime
and other of the newer farming prac.
tices were distributed to all sections of
the county, and the varieties of corr
and oats now generally grown arc
worth thousands of dollars more pei
year than the Eureka silage and other
misfit crops which ave saw in this
country in 1912. Better fertilizing
better feeding, better breeding and bet
ter marketing were all effectively
touched upon. And how was this
donol Through meetings, club work
articles in the News and county papers
aud last, but greatest of all, through
farm visits.
Report Of 1919 Accomplishment
Arriving as | did at the close of youl
membership campaign, my first motto,
was drawn to the fact that here wa,
strong well-formed organizaior
which for three years had gained il
membership by 20 per cent each year
In addition, it was a representative
membership scattered evenly over the
country and although our mountain,
prevent general gathering except at
the annual field picnic, yet we have
live directors and members in all towns
except the almost uninhabited Somer-
set and Stratton
Arriving too late last season to hol
meetings in every community. six sec
tlons were met and given a chance tc
try out the new scheme Of community
r~g: ni'"'ion. Mr.. Carrigan will talk
q you this afternoon upon the modern
plan of community organization which
| need stop here only to commend and
say that / believe the sooner we fol-
low the lead of Massachusetts and New
York state and adopt this method of
community group work, the sooner will
Vermont farmers begin to reap the ben,
efts of present day organization.
The Newfane community program
might here be given as typical of the
plan. Meeting as a group of about 7C
in early spring, the projects and leaders
were chosen for working toward better
corn varieties and the control of DO
tato diseases. Three farmers agreed tc
grow test corn variety plots and two
volunteered for the potato work. The
results of the experimental work
showed that Hall s Gold Nugget and
Early Wonder were the most satisfac-
tory varieties for silage for that val
ley and that local seed potatoes were
so seriously diseased that it viii be ad.
visable to bring in certified potato seed
another year. Thus at their meetinr
this year we stiH have definite results
TO offer as basis for better farming IL
Newfane aud similar direct benefit
can be obtained by following a pro.
gram Of work in any community.
The county field day with its at
tendance of 500 people has drawn more
favorable comment than any piece OF
work of the season. Planned by vouI
executive committee and carried ont
Ivy trio of yourselves appointed by
President Dunklee from that commit
tee, it was arranged carefully as tC
date, location and program Their
when the weather man came out with
fine day we proved that Windham
county farmers do not have to com
bine with all the adjoining counties
on the map but can have right goot
field day all our own
Potato seed treatment was giver
some attention as an educational mat
ter and enough work was done witt
certified seed potatoes to get tire,
fields of disease free seed in the county
md to bring wide publicity to the fac
hat It pays most handsomely in grow
ing potatoes to use seed which arr
from stock not affected by foliage dis
eases.
Special Attention Given Co-Opera
tive Marketng-By way of continu
ance of previous work with our 81,
most excellent cooperative creameries
two county meetings of creamery di
rectors were held Mr.. Jones of Mont
pelier acted as the principal speake
of the Jacksonville meeting in June
while the second or autumn meeting a
Wardsboro was addressed by Commits
sioner Brigham. Both meetings wer
we'll attended
At the request of members abou
Brattleboro, assistance was given tn
local organization of the New England
Milk Producers association in organ
izing the Brattleboro milk producers
Every farmer producing milk for Brat
tleboro is now a member of the Dair-