Farm Bureau Work in New York State for 1914 



127 



CATTARAUGUS COUNTY 



Our work in the county during the year 19 14 has been planned with 

 three definite purposes in mind: first, to get acquainted with as many 

 persons as possible, which is a comparatively slow process inasmuch 

 as this is a large county; second, to do something that w^ould be worth 

 while to our farming community; third, to disseminate information. 



The problem of getting acquainted, though a very important one, 

 has not been given primary attention but has been carried along in combi- 

 nadon with the regular farm bureau work. I have found that the best way 

 to do it is to meet a man and to be wath him alone for as much time as 

 he and I can spare. Although I ha^'e attended over 70 farmers' meetings 

 in the county during the year, with 5000 persons in attendance, I do 

 not feel that I am really acquainted with these men and women as I am 

 with the 500 whom I have met on their farms. 



Cattaraugus County is situated in a section of New York State that 

 is not preeminent for high crop yields. I have made a thorough study 

 of local statistics, and have reached the conclusion that a material service 

 can be rendered in increasing crop production. Through various con- 

 ferences and inspection trips the question of applying lime to land pre- 

 sented itself as foremost in this line of work. We have worked with 

 the railroads and with the lime companies in particular to encourage 

 them to make it easier for our farmers to buy lime. The response on 

 their part has been favorable indeed. Probably 3000 tons of agricultural 

 lime in one or another of its forms has been placed in the county this 

 3'ear through the efforts of the farm bureau. After we had made it easier 

 for the farmers to buy lime through our rates and through cooperation 

 among themselves, considerable attention was devoted to demonstrations 

 in its use. Now at the ven,' close of the year the outlook is encouraging 

 for further increase in the use of lime, because of a still better rate that 

 concerns have given us, due to the fact that we are able to assure them 

 a given volume of business. Fanners' appreciation of this work is shown 

 by a steady growth in the farm bureau membership. 



Previous to the farm bureau work in this county some fertilizer com- 

 panies tried to interest the fanners in their fertilizers, chiefly the phos- 

 phorus earners. The discussion of these fertilizers, in view of the 

 fact that ours is a dairy county, suggested a series of com tests for develop- 

 ing better ensilage, through a variety test, and for collecting definite 

 local data in reference to the availability of phosphorus in raw rock phos- 

 phate, acid phosphate, and basic slag under our local soil conditions. 

 Thirty-one tests of one acre each w-ere made in representative sections 

 of the county. The phosphorus carriers were proportioned on a monetary 

 basis and, together with a check plot, comprised the four quarters of each 

 acre. The following are the average results of these tests, per acre : 



Raw- 

 rock 



Fodder (tons) 



Shelled grain (bushels) 



Number of stalks per bushel ears 



II-3 



34-3 

 329 



Check 



10. 1 



30-5 



330 



Acid 

 phos- 

 phate 



12.4 



40.9 



303 



Basic 

 slag 



12.0 



39-8 



302 



