The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1921-01-27
BUREAU HAS
VARIOUS PLANS
Blrdseye View of the Work Accom-.
plIshed During the Past Year

pllshed During the Past Year
| AS the farm bureau Is about to start
for new year, 1t may prove beneficial
and profitable to get a birdseye view
of the work done during 1920. Let's
not view our plumbers too lightly.
Blunders are serious and sometimes
disastrous We need to consider
each and every move seriously before
we put 1t into execution. The farm
bureau has been organized roughly
two and one-half years. This years
mistake we have spent two and one
half years in learning. Next years
mistakes will have taken three and
one-half years to learn and so in ten
years we will be saying, at took us
ten years to learn that" Expensive
education! Caution Is the watch
word. Can We learn by no other
way? Yes, certainly. We can pro-
| fit by the experience of others and
thus prevent serious and possibly IA
tai plumbers. For instance, this year
we adopted the membership campaign
which has worked successfully in
other counties, with the result that
that where followed to the letter We
have had success to a marked degree.
In this summary, errors will be COM
mented on with the idea OF substitute
ing sure-footedness for blunders.
During the year December l, 1919,
to November 80. 1920. the miscel-
laneous daily activities of the Coun-
ty Agent are summarized thus: days
in office, 1851; days in field, 1876;
calls in relation to projects, 772;
meetings held in relation to projects,
1O4-attendance 2162; miscellaneous
calls, IA; miscellaneous meetings,
12,-attendance APT; phone calls,
SCI; persons advised, 449; total
miles travelled on official business,
7779; circular letters written, 81;
copies circular letters mailed, 1881;
articles written for News, 50; bulle-
tins and circulars distributed, 1873 !;
Extension Schools, attendance, 7S'
Membership in July, 1919, number
ed 235; in June 1920, it was 266. This
shows slow growth and is probably
due in part to a delayed membership
campaign put on in April 1920. The
best growth is shown in the organi-
cation.
In July 1919, we had IL executive
committeeman with community CON-
mitteemen in five towns and chairmen
only in II towns. No definite pro-
gram of work was laid out in any
town. In July 1920 we had 10 ex-
ecutive committeeman, with total
of II community committeeman in IA
communities. A definite program of
work was laid out in each of the Ia
organized communities. While not
all plans were carried out in all COM
munities, many have carried out more
work than their plans called for, and
the work for 1920 shows more results
than 1t did for 1919.
BY projects the work as laid out
for the year shows up we'll. The
blunder made here Is that no com.
parative demonstrations were con-
Quoted. This is a grave mistake and
every community committeeman
should do his best to see to 1t thai
his community has at least five such
demonstrations in projects where this
is possible.
Dairy feeding meetings were helf
in connection with the regular annua
business meetings in seven commu
mites, with an attendance Of 155. One
; trouble with these meetings is the
amount of ground covered in the
: length of time Dairy feeding Is 6
very important part of our farm work
At least an all-day meeting should BIZ
used for this work, but no one-day
dairy feeding meeting, however, car
hope to be as successful as the three
day dairy feeding school. Testing
circles did not prove out as success
fully as planned. Seven meetings
were held. Three circles started ant
20 herds were tested with a total o.
ia cows.
Maine $40 oats were sowed II
seven towns, with a total OF 13C
acres. Mammoth Flint silage corr
was grown in 10 towns, acreage 80
No figures were kept giving com
parison between the other varieties
and these two improved varieties
This was a mistake. Several com
parative demonstrations should b.
carried in each town for 1921.
Ten culling demonstrations were
held and much information Is gained
from the comparisons Of the culls ant
good layers. The attendance at the
culling demonstrations was 1T. The
total number of birds in the flockf
culled was 541. The total number o.
birds culled out was 207. The num-
Der of eggs laid for week before
culling by 473 hens was 878. The
number of eggs laid by the 252 gooc
hens after culling was 752. The
eggs laid by the 172 culls for a week
after culling was 54 More people
should Gull their brooder hens These
are actual figures and prove the non
laying hen Is the guilty party.
Six orchard pruning demonstrations
were held in the county, with tota
attendance Of 49, Total number o.
trees in the six orchards pruned wal
1880.
Club work was carried on in II
10 towns, with a total enrolment o.
425. Somerset ranked second only t.
Aroostook in the club enrolment. Tit
number of members to complete thu
work was 228, or 81 per cent. SAP