Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-01-07
Report Shows
Much Work
Done in 1881
Assisted Over 900 Farmers.
Made Hundreds OF Farm
Calls


Assistance to more than enc fhnus-
and t he fourteen hundred farmers
in Sheridan county IS shown by the
annual report for 1881 recently sub
mitted to County agent Leader Fred
Bennion, BY County agent +. G. Fer
guson.
The review tells Of g. definite and
I3 miscellaneous phases Of work on
which our county agert spent all of
his time during the past ear.
Work on Feed and Seed Loans
Four months of this time was de-
voted TO work IN connection with the
Federal feed and seed loans. About
eight hundred applications for seed
loans were handled through that. Of
flee. During the months of July and
August about seven hundred feed
Lean applications were handled through
that office, but the majority of them
arrived at the Grand Forks office lust
prior to the change in regulations
ard We're returned to the county re-
~questing the farmers to make appli-
cations under the new regulations. A
large number of these applications
Were approved.
During the months of October ana
November Ner one thousand feed
loan applications were handled thru
County agent Ferguson's office and
up to November 30 more than eight
hundred of these applications were
approved and ~-are than $50. 900 in
federal aid was obtained for needy
farmers in this area.
Three Demonstration plots were
started this year with the use Of
Gypsum to bring about 4 better ply
steal condition Of the soils on the Big
Muddy Flat
Thirty farmers Nere assisted in se=
curing and planting shelter belts and
thirty applications were approved for
planting in 1892. Most Of the many
thousands ef trees planted this spring
lived. In spite of the extreme drought
conditions.
Gopher Poison
During the spring twenty five
thousand ard six hundred pounds oil
gopher poison was mixed and dist
rlbuted to farmers at actual cost. The
gopher eradication work carried on i'm
the county was one of the projects
through which considerable progress
was made. More and better results
were obtained than ever before. This
was due primarily to the fact that the
County Commissioners renewed the
paving of bounty. Nearly $4,000 was
paid ont by the county at the rate of
n cent per tail during the months
of April, May and June. Many per
sons poisoned gophers as a business
IN order tn earn some ready cash
More poison was distributed. more
land covered and more gophers killed
then ever before During the month
of July the supply Of poison that was
mixed by the county became exhaust
I'D and there was such a demand that
IT was necessary to obtain three thou
sand pounds Of this bait.
Poultry Work
Poultry work carried on here this
Rast year was OF a miscellaneous ma
ture, although much work was done
along sanitation lines and to encour-
age breeders to use better breeding
stock, as well as care and manage
ment practices.
Tine Of the important phases of this
work was the continuation of the
work started last year in testing
flocks for Baeciliary white diorrhea-
Three f1ccks being tested and all re-
eulled ont. The purpose of this
is to establish a few flocks i'm
county that are free from this
as a source OF supply for
breeding stock for other farmers.
Those f1ocks that have been tested
and the reactors culled out have re-
e~+ed less loss than the average farm
other work with poultry was dis
ease control methods. Much informa-
ion was given farmers in regard to
Justification and control of poultry
diseases. tape worm and nasal roup
two quite prevalent diseases.
'f7Ata+s have been supnlied to a num-
of farmers free ef charge for the
Mw