Farm Bureau Work in Nkw York State for 19 14 2163 



The average cost in thirty-six herds of keeping and caring for a cow 

 was found to be in these associations during 19 13 as follows: 



Roughage $34 . 00 



Grain 25.21 



Labor 21.06 



Depreciation and interest 1 1 . 48 



• 1-75 



Therefore, when milk is selling for $1.54 a hundredweight, a cow must 

 give 5957 pounds of milk a year before she pays her owner anything. 



LIME 



Until the formation of the farm bureau in 19 12, the price of lime in 

 Oneida County ranged from $4 to $7 a ton. One of the first tasks of 

 the bureau was to investigate the reasons for this. After a thorough 

 search, a bottom price was secured from a near-by company, shippers 

 over the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. With the 

 assistance of the Utica Chamber of Commerce a more satisfactory freight 

 rate was secured, so that in all territory covered by this railroad the price 

 for lime was not over $2.50 a ton. Later, through the cooperation of 

 F. S. Welsh, agriculturist of the New York Central Railroad, the farm 

 bureau was able to secure finely ground limestone analyzing better than 

 95 per cent carbonates from another compan}^ for $1.35 a ton. The 

 New York Central Railroad Company reduced the rate 30 per cent on 

 carload shipments from all quarries that charged $1.50 a ton or less for 

 ground limestone. This lowered the price, so that at no New York 

 Central station in the county need the fanner pay over $2.35 a ton for 

 good ground limestone, delivered in carload lots. At many stations 

 it is less than $2 a ton delivered. During the time these rates have been 

 in operation, this company has sold fifty-two carloads. Owing to the 

 fact that the company was unable to make a profit selling ground lime- 

 stone at $1.35 a ton in 19 13, the price was raised in 19 14 to $1.50 a ton, 

 f. o. b. This increase is slight, however, and will be no hardship to the 

 farmers needing lime. 



The farm bureau earned on several cooperative tests with the use 

 of lime on clover seeding at the time of sowing. These fields are 

 in widely separated parts of the county and represent various soils and 

 conditions. All persons who used lime report an excellent stand of clover. 

 Many f aimers who ordered one carload last year, are doubling their orders 

 this season. 



POTATOES 



The farm bureau has carried on cooperative tests in potato breeding. 

 One plot has been used for improving seed by breeding and by selection. 

 A variety of blight-resisting potatoes was planted in 19 13 to breed from. 

 The average yield for two years of some of the better producers was 

 from 313 to 435 bushels per acre. The female parents that proved to 

 be good producers. l9.§t year were, for the most part, good producers 



