2158 ' Farm Bureau Circular No. 6 



plant diseases and insect pests, renewing old orchards, poultry manage- 

 ment, poultry house construction, and general farm management. He 

 has visited 45 schools for the purpose of promoting nature study and 

 boys' and girls' club work, and of explaining and distributing printed 

 information on the threatened attack of the gypsy and the brown-tailed 

 moths. He has addressed 10 meetings in different sections of the county 

 in addition to grou]:) meetings. These group meetings, which were well 

 attended, were practical demonstrations on the uses and the comparative 

 values of lime and the nature of potato diseases with methods of pre- 

 vention or control. 



The farni bureau also conducted a successful educational exhibit at 

 the Mineola Fair, which was visited by a large nvmiber of persons. This 

 gave the manager op])ortunity to talk with many persons, of whom over 

 one hundred asked him to visit their farms as soon as possible. 



In cooperation with various agricultural institutions, the farm bureau 

 successfully conducted a canning demonstration at Mineola and a cooking 

 demonstration at Port Washington. 



An arrangement was made with the district superintendent of schools 

 whereby the farm bureau was permitted to have a part in the two con- 

 ferences that included practically all of the teachers in Nassau County. 

 Through the efforts of the farm bureau, the State entomologist and the 

 State nurser}- inspector on Long Island, as well as the manager, addressed 

 this meeting on the subject of harmful insects that are found or that 

 may soon be found in Nassau County. 



The manager has secured the help of ten experts on special problems. 

 Much has been saved to the farmers of the county by giving them 

 advice on diseased crops and by securing better prices on lime, fertihzer, 

 and the like. 



Some of the things that have been accomplished have been gi\'en, but, 

 because of the short time of its existence, the work of the Nassau Coiinty 

 Farm Bureau should not be compared with that of other bureaus that 

 have been in operation for a much longer time. 



Of the many problems that present themselves in Nassau County, 

 the following seem to need special attention; social, school, cooperative 

 marketing, cooperative buying, and the maintenance of the himius supply 

 in the soil. 



When the farm bureau was organized in this county, there were no 

 granges, and there was only one farmers' club, which was practically 

 dormant. The fai-m bureau and the officers of the Suffolk County Grange 

 have cooperated in organizing what appear to be two strong granges, 

 one at Hicksville and the other at Massapequa. 



The group meetings that the fann bureau has conducted in several 

 schoolhouses, seem to have been popular and to ha\^e accomiilished much 

 good, not only in giving out infonnation but in getting the people together 

 to discuss their own problems. This is the best way to get local problems 

 solved. A continuance of these meetings, together with good grange 

 meetings, ought to go a long way toward improving the social conditions 

 of the county. 



Very little work has been done in regard to school and home gardens. 

 The back-yard garden problem is one that needs careful attention. The 



