Farm Bureau Work in New York State for 1914 2 113 



Forty-three students were directly influenced by managers to attend 

 agricultural colleges. Assistance was rendered the College in conducting 

 37 extension schools, with total attendance of 1470 persons. Twenty farm- 

 ers were influenced to attend short courses at college, 319 schools were 

 assisted in developing agricultural instruction, and 6544 pupils were 

 reached by such instruction. The managers distributed 505 library books 

 to farmers. 



One thousand and twenty-two farmers conducted demonstrations for 

 the farm bureaus, 204 meetings were held to inspect these demonstrations, 

 and 5865 fanners attended them. 



With relation to the farm and the farmstead, the following things were 

 done on the suggestion and with the assistance of the managers: 86 

 farm buildings were planned or improved, 22 silos constructed, 17 water 

 supply systems introduced or improved, 11 home grounds planned or 

 improved, sanitary conditions improved on 14 farms, 67 farm plans 

 — partial or complete — made, and 138 drainage systems planned. 



One hundred and fifteen farmers selected field com, 83 acres were 

 planted with selected seed, 72 farmers made tests for germination and 

 planted 356 acres w4th such tested seed, — all under the direction of 

 the managers. Two hundred and eighteen farmers treated seed oats for 

 smut and 1 7 1 2 acres were sown with tested seed, as a result of the managers' 

 work. Under the managers' direction, 216 farmers used hill-selected 

 potatoes, and 168 farmers treated potatoes for scab. 



A striking feature of the work was that the managers influenced and 

 assisted 362 farmers to sow 1323 acres of alfalfa throughout thB State. 

 Four hundred and twenty-three farmers inoculated the soil for alfalfa 

 and planted 1 168 acres with inoculated seed, under the managers' direction. 



Fruit growers were assisted in the planting of 19 orchards and in caring 

 for in whole or in part of 398 orchards. Assistance was rendered 17 

 farmers in improving woodlots. 



In relation to live stock, 36 registered bulls and 6 registered boars were 

 secured on the suggestion of the managers. Nineteen registered sires 

 were transferred from one community to another, and 219 dairy cows 

 purchased. Twenty-seven cow-testing associations were organized by the 

 managers with the assistance of the Bureau of Farmers Institutes of the 

 State Department of Agriculture and 21,700 cows were on test during 

 the year. Seven live-stock breeding associations were organized by the 

 managers, 153 farmers were influenced to feed more live stock on their 

 farms, and 666 balanced rations were figured by the managers and adopted 

 by farmers. Four hundred and eighty-three farmers were given infor- 

 mation on poultry management. 



As a result of the suggestion and assistance of the farm bureaus, 60 

 farmers made better use of manure and straw than formerly, 393 farmers 

 mixed 11 69 tons of fertilizers at home. One of the most important ac- 

 complishments of the farm bureaus during the year was that as a result 

 of their work, 3 1 1 5 farmers used 20,214 tons of lime. Eleven local sources 

 of lime were developed by the farm bureaus during the year. 



Six hundred and three acres of meadows and 28 acres of pasture were 

 top-dressed. Two hundred and sixteen acres of soy beans, 2497 acres 

 of vetch (1500 acres in Jefferson County alone), and 65 acres of sweet 

 133 



