The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-10-28

IOI DGttCt SAUpS anu DOiio
No little time has been devoted to
improving crop conditions, lettering
Of soils and fights against crop
plaques. This past summer, the
Farm Bureau led campaign against
the Hessian fly and the chinch bug.
Organized effort was made by the
Farm Bureau, and whatever success
has come in fighting these may be ac-
credited to the Farm Bureau.
Lime for the soil and soil terracing
are two other features. Land in this
section, as in most other sections of
the state, is acid and needs lime. 1t
has been the policy of the Farm Blu
reau to call attention to this, to test
soil and determine the amount Of
limestone needed, and to secure pull
yerizers to crush the local limestone.
Two crushers have been secured di-
rectly through the efforts of the Farm
Bureau and at least rs samples of soil
have been tested
Land in this county is rolling; in
deed, it is in some places hilly. The
problem of the "wash" of land has
burdened many who have seen gull
lies appear and rows of corn turn in
to miniature streams during hard
rains. One of the tasks of the Farm
Bureau has been to teach terracing-
a method of soil conservation. High
on the hills of some states, grow good
crops, while on our hills we grow
nothing. The difference is that one
knows how to terrace and the other
does not; one knows how to save, con-
serve and utilize, and the other does
not The Farm Bureau is attempting
to teach this better method in St.
Francois county.
Buying and Selling.
The Purchasing & Sales Associa-
ton, organized a little more than a
year ago, has finished one years
work of activity and has done a great
deal in the way of saving the farm
ers money in feeds, fertilizers, flour
and seed. The cooperative livestock
shipping association, organized two
years ago, has meant a great deal to
the stock raisers of the county. 1t
has stood for a more economic way,
through cooperation, of marketing
livestock. This, in the last year alone,
has saved the farmers no small
amount of money.
WOmen's Work
Coupled along with the work of the
Farm Bureau, and a part of it, is the
work of the Home Demonstration
Agent, which varies from remodeling
of farm kitchens to culling chickens
and making dress forms.
The amount of money saved in
chicken culling can easily be figured.
What it has saved and made for the
farmers wives and daughters who
sell eggs and chickens can be told
better by themselves.
Food selection and preparation
gives the women broader view of the
best and cheapest way to feed their
families. Canning is means of
cheaper living. The Home Demon
stration Agent has answered many
calls for just such work and is al
ways glad to help at any time. Time
and money has been saved by holding
clothing schools with the help of a
clothing specialist from the College
of Agriculture. In such work a
group of women learn how to i'm
prove sewing methods and teach
others, thus spreading the influence
of the Home Demonstration work.
There are other important lines of
home demonstration work: Dress
Forms, great time and labor savers,
have been made, no less than 70 since
last January; Health work with young
children has been taken up by some
communities; improvements in poul-
try feeding and housing methods have
been made all over the county and
numerous other matters have been
taken up, such as bread making, home
conveniences, refnishing old furniture
and girls clubs.
These are some of the things done
by the Farm Bureau in the county and
the worth of them will not be fully
told until in the future years. The
County Agent and the Home Demon
stration Agent worked. The former,
in keeping check, has travelled about
5000 miles, made 400 visits to farms
and received about 300 farm calls
which does not include visits which
are often made at the office. This
month is marking the close Of a year
of achievement and progress and st
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