Smyrna times., 1926-12-22
kent COUNTY AGENT WILSON
SUBMITS FINE ANNUAL REPORT
MUCH ACCOMPLISHED OR SET IN
MOTION DURING THE YEAR
Mr.. Wilson as the Representative of
the Federal Government in Kent
County Has Been Wide Awake


tains complete account of the many
activities involved in the directing of
the county extension work in Kent
County during the year ending De-
cember 1, has recently been issued by
County Agent Russell E. Wilson who
has held this position for the past five
years, after having spent four years
in county extension work in Indiana.
Kent County comprises about one
third of the state, and has a total land
area of 594 square miles, or $50,
acres. The principal crops produced
on the heavier soils are corn, wheat,
hay, and tomatoes. Throughout the
central part of the county are numer-
Gus commercial apple and peach or
chards and grape vineyards, while the
southern section is devoted to sweet
potatoes, tomatoes, cantaloupes, straw
berries, and other truck crops. The
livestock consists chiefly of dairy cat
tie and poultry, since this section of
the country is not well adapted to the
production of beef cattle and hogs.
The average rainfall is 1859 inches
and the average snowfall is PAL inch
es. The normal growing season is ap-
proximately 1877 days in length, as the
average date of the last killing frost
in the spring is April 20, and that of
the first in the fall is October "a.
In developing that part of the ag-
ricultural program which deals with
soil fertility, special attention has
been given to the proper use of high
grade commercial fertilizers and lime
in connection with the problems of
soil drainage and the addition of hui
mus and organic matter through the
sowing Of legumes and cover crops.
During the past five years, horticul-
tural crops, with special reference to
orchard fruits and grapes, have occu-
pied an important place in the pro
gram Of work for Kent County, as has
been shown in the number of different
Agent in cooperation with the mem
bers Of the Experiment Station and
other representatives of the Extension
Department Of the University Of Del
aware and the U.S.Department Of Ag-
riculture. With the orchard fruits,
the spray service and the codling moth
studies by means Of observation cages
have proven very successful within
the past year in assisting the growers
to control the chief disease and insect
pests.
Grape Culture Increased Wonderfully
Grape culture in this county has in
creased from two hundred to approx
mately one thousand acres Of bearing
vineyards within the past five years,
and the rapid expansion Of this partic-
ular fruit industry has resulted in ad-
ditional demands upon the Agricul-
tural Extension Department and the
Experiment Station for assistance in
the solution Of the various problems
Of fertilization and disease and insect
control. Two spraying demonstrations
were conducted in the county again
this year in addition to continuing the
two vineyard fertilization plots which
were established in the spring of 1924.
Strawberry growing is also being
encouraged in the southern part of
the county where much Of the soil is
well adapted to the culture of this
particular crop. Several acres of
Strawberries were set out last spring
in this area, and in all probability
this acreage will be increased next
year. AS a means of selling this
crop, an effort will be promoted in the
-
marketing association which will ship
all the fruit in uniform containers
with attractive labels. If this pro-
posed plan can be put into effect, it
will be a vital factor in the agricul-
tural improvement program for this
section Of the county and the sur
rounding territory.
Two of the principal projects with
farm crops this year consisted of
demonstrations with corn termination
and root-rot control, and in treating
seed wheat for the control of the
stinking smut. Alfalfa, sweet clover,
and soybeans, were the three legume
crops considered in the 1926 program
of work for Kent County, and by
means of dem ,nstrations and field
meetings, the Importance of these
pasture and hay crops was brought to
the attention of the farmers.
Poultry Raising Leading Industry
Poultry raising is one of the lead
ling agricultural industries in Della
ware, and this is especially true of the
two lower counties where the sales Of
eggs and chickens are the chief sourc-
es of income from many of the farms
According to the United States Census
for 1925, this type of farming in the
entire state has a value of almost
four millions of dollars. In conduct
ing the program of poultry improve
ment for Kent County, the projects
selected were those dealing with dem