Farm Bureau Work in New York State for 1914 2157 



Business visits have been made to 287 farmers, including 205 different 

 farmers. The majority of these calls were made at the request of the 

 farmers. Much information on various farm subjects has been given. 

 The manager addressed 40 meetings, which had a total attendance of 



3003- 



The membership in the farm bureau has almost doubled during the 



past nine months. The nimiber of farmers asking the bureau for agri- 

 cultural information is increasing. More farmers will cooperate with 

 the bureau next year in some definite work. The prospects for farm, 

 bureau activities in 19 15 are good. The work will be more specific. 



Allen S. Merchant, 

 Farm Bureau Manager oj Montgomery Couniy. 



NASSAU COUNTY 

 (Work begun August i, 1914.) 



Because the Nassau County Farm Bureau was not started until 

 August I, 19 1 4, and on accovint of the peculiar conditions in the county, the 

 committee first advised the manager to spend several weeks in traveling 

 about the county. This plan was followed, and the manager talked 

 with farmers and others who were well acquainted with conditions on 

 Long Island. This careful study showed that Nassau County is unique, 

 in that it is made up of urban, suburban, and rural classes of people. 

 There is probably more wealth in Nassau County than in any other 

 suburban county in the State, and perhaps in the United States. 



Land is valued as high as $1500 per acre. Of course it is difficult to 

 conduct a farm on a paying basis with such a large investment. Only 

 the most intensive farming can be practiced. The estate holders and 

 many of the gentlemen farmers, however, do not care for profits from 

 their farms but simply enjoy growing the best crops and keeping pure- 

 bred stock for exhibition purposes. Most of these men and their 

 managers have welcomed the organization of a farm bureau in Nassau 

 County. 



The farmers who still operate their own farms have made use of the 

 farm bureau in many ways. Unfortunately for the general good of 

 agriculture these men are rapidly selling their farms, or are renting them 

 to foreigners, principally Poles, who use intensive farming methods, 

 .but who resist rather than aid any cooperation or organization. These 

 men need the help that the farm bureau can furnish, but until we can 

 find some means of overcoming suspicions, which they seem to have 

 of all enterprises promoted by Americans, the bureau can be of very little 

 help to them. The manager has visited a large number of these men 

 in order to explain the purposes of the farm bureau. Some of them 

 have attended the meetings, but very few have ever asked for a visit 

 from the manager. 



A brief summary of this and the other work of the past five months 

 follows : 



The manager has made approximately 308 farm visits for the purpose 

 of assisting in agricultural work, such as seed com selection, alfalfa grow- 

 ing, purchasing of seed, lime, fertilizer, live stock, and the like, controlling 



