Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-10-24

c. A. DAY
OF Augusta, County Agent.
NJ. !. Parker, Farmingdaie; livestock.
II. r. Hysom. China; forestry. b. r.
Small, Litchfield; orchards. c. a.
Graves. Sidney: poultry. d. l.. Taylor.
Farmingdale: clothing. Mrs. Stanley
Hight, Readfield: foods. Mrs. w. E.
Briggs Winthrop: household man
agement, Mrs. d. T.. Foster. Augusta.
The program Of work for the COM
ing year is a most ambitious one.
There are a number of new projects
which have been planned. The new
lines of work which the mems di-
vision intends to take up includes.
alfalfa tests. poultry account cam
paign and herd production. The wo-
men are planning. in addition to the
regular line Of work. to take up
new project. which will be selection
of clothing.
Boys and Girls Clubs
Mrs. w. A. Nickerson. the Boys
and Girls club leader. reports there
are IL Of these organizations in the
county. The following are carrying
projects: Canning, 10: chicken rails
Ing, IS: cooking and housekeeping,
| 58; sweet corn. 2: gardening. Is;
pig raising, seven: potato raising,
| four: poultry management, seven;
sewing, 20. OF the 200 members en-
rolled. 4S were boys and 152 girls;
! 172 were seniors and four were
young farmers.
Orchard Project
Under the community planting
plan, a part Of the orchard project,
| 1853 trees were ordered. including rs
varieties. No figures are available for
the orchard fertilization phase Of
this project, but during the summer.
trees were treated with nitrate and
| showed marked advantage over the
other trees. c. A. Graves Of Sidney
| Is the county leader.
Demonstrations have been estab-
| lished with +. II. Taylor Of Winthrop
| and Whitehouse Bros. of Vassalboro
in pruning young apple trees over a
five year period.
Livestock Project
This Is the third year that the
! cows Of the county have been tested
, for tuberculosis, -operatively, &C
| cording to the report of the county
leader. ii. Il. Tyson of China. In
1929, 6,00S cows were tested with 81
reactors; 1928. 1921 with 70 reactors;
! In 1924, estimated. 5000 with 10 re-
actors. The percentage of reactors
has dropped from 1870 to only q
| trace. This accredited herd work is
! part Of the livestock project.
! Three demonstrations have been
| started in the pasture improvement
phase. Sixteen farmers are keeping
mill rocnrIS and rnnortipp oonfb1V
Ever since 1913. the Farm Bureau
has been ordering mammoth corn.
This year 1882 bushels of seed corn
! were distributed to 132 cooperators.
Sixteen comparative tests were made
this year between mammoth flint
corn and "Wctsbranch" silage corn.
The tests this year were not conclus-
i've but the variety Is of sufficient
merit to try out again next year.
Farm Management Project
Thirty-six farm accounts were
completed for the year. This report
is made by d. A. Wilkins of Windsor,
the project leader. In brief, a sum-
mary shows that farm profits in
I<ennebec county are dependent to a
large extent upon: business based
upon dairy cows in good producing
ability: the sale of cash crops that
arc adapted to local conditions; eff :
cient use of both purchased and
home grown feeds; a good hay yield;
the use where available of hired
labor during such seasons; the need
of more economical use of horse
power
In the accounts, the following were
started. farm. AZ; poultry, ST; alfalfa,
In the poultry accounts. Al were
completed. Already 113 have applied
for poultry account books for next
year.
Crops Project
N. I. Knight of Oakland is the
crops project county leader. In the
top dressing grassland demonstra-
tions. the comparison shows the
value of the treatment. Ten demon
STATIONS were completed In 1923 and
l6 tn 1924. These demonstrations
have shown that chemicals may be
used with profit on fields that are
beginning to lose their fertility when
the farmer does not have q sufficient
amount OF barn yard manure or
when he cannot pillow frequently.
The lime demonstrations have
proved ,conclusively that lime will.
increase the hay crop on most Ken
nebec county farms. They also show
1hat the soil should be tested for
aoidity before lime Ia used.
Eight communities purchased lime.
comparatively in CARROTS. The COM
bined purchase amounted to about
40 tons.
In the improved potato seed plot
work, % communities took up the
work to furnish sources of improved
seed for another year and to demon
strate the value Of improved seed.
More than 500 bushels of improved
seed were planted In this county
through the efforts of the Farm Bur-
eau and the Extension Service. Tests
to see II alfalfa could be raised in
this county. were first carried out in
1899. Two of these fields are still in
alfalfa and gave good crops this year.
Forestry Project
The forestry project, under n. I.
Parker OF Farmingdale, the county
leader. Is a new phase Of work. AL
ready Is demonstrations have been
held with an attendance Of 1S2. Eight
more are scheduled to be held dur
ing the last week in October.
Two demonstrations were given in
planting young pine and six men
have requested demonstrations next
spring. Two demonstrations in the
care Of the farm woodlot will be
started this fall, one at Belgrade and
one at Farmingdale.