2150 Farm Bureau Circular No. 6 



Clover is one of the most important crops grown in the county, and a 

 large part of the lime used during the past years has been applied with 

 beneficial results to oat ground for the next year's seeding. 



SPRAYING for MUSTARD 



In order to eradicate mustard seventy acres of oats and com were 

 sprayed under the direction of the farm bureau with 100 pounds of iron 

 sulfate per acre. The cost of this was not over $1.50 an acre, including 

 labor. One man says he believes that he made $175 by spraying a field 

 of corn at an expense of less than $to. Other fields sprayed show equally 

 favorable results. We believe that mustard can be completely eradicated 

 in a few years by systematic spraying by the farmers of the county. 



CORN DEMONSTRATION 



The com demonstration work of the farm bureau dviring the last 3^ear 

 was very successful, and every field ripened corn. The average yield 

 was 150 bushels of ears per acre. Only State com was used, as we believe 

 this gives surer returns. 



COW-TESTING ASSOCIATION 



Sixty dairies have been tested during the past year in the cow-testing 

 association work. The men who have completed a year's test are without 

 exception well pleased with this work. It will be carried on during the 

 coming year. One of the largest parts of the correspondence of the 

 manager has been in regard to the computation of dairy rations; over 

 200 books on this subject have been given out by the bureau. This is 

 work that can be done by the farmer equally as well as by the manager, 

 and it has been our effort whenever a ration is balanced to show the man 

 how to do the work himself. In one case a man saved over a dollar a 

 day in feed, and produced fully as much milk through using rations rec- 

 ommended by the bureau manager. 



TILE DRAINAGE 



About ten miles of tile have been laid in this county .during the past 

 year, and the farm bureau has superintended this work to the extent of 

 arranging for the purchase of tile and surveying the areas to be drained: 



ORCHARDS 



Herkimer County contains a great many small orchards, which return 

 little or no income to the owner. These orchards need pruning badly, 

 and must be sprayed in order to yield a good quality of fruit. During 

 the past year over 4000 apple trees have been sprayed under the super- 

 vision of the farm bureau. 



Trees were pruned in the spring to remove dead wood and to open up 

 the tree, in order to permit the sun to reach the inner branches and thus 

 to enable fruit to be borne all over the tree. A dormant spray was then 

 applied. A second spray was applied for the control of codling moth 

 and scab as the petals were falling, and, in most cases, a third spray was 

 applied about ten days later. The men who have sprayed state that larger, 

 more abundant, and better fruit free from insect blemishes was obtained. 



