Farm Bureau Work in New York State for 1914 2169 



and the hearty response and commendation of those who knew of the 

 movement justify special attention another year. Syracuse should buy 

 first from Onondaga County. 



MISCELLANEOUS WORK 



The manager has visited 429 farms during this past summer; has ad- 

 dressed 25 meetings; has aided in 3 field demonstrations for the better 

 growing of potatoes; has held i boys' cow-judging contest; has secured 

 places for nearly 200 farm laborers; has promoted the sale of 2 pure-bred 

 bulls, 1 20 tons of alfalfa, 400 bushels of seed oats, 50 bushels of seed com, and 

 some seed barley and potatoes, directly from farmer to farmer, both making 

 and saving money for the parties concerned. He has also been instru- 

 mental in getting farmers to buy about 1000 tons of lime, 100 tons of rock 

 phosphate, and 46 tons of feed at prices considerably below those they 

 have regularly paid. Farmers have been advised on drainage, crop rota- 

 tion, general farm practice, dairy rations, alfalfa managem^ent, mustard 

 spraying, potato spraying, com breeding, marketing, storage, fertilizers, 

 and a large variety of other questions pertinent to everyday farm practice. 



The men who started the farm bureau movement did not expect it 

 to accomplish great things and to jump at once into popular favor. It 

 could not. The work to be done by such an institution is essentially of 

 a sort that is slow in growth and requires time. But results are sure, and 

 the field of usefulness and the economic value to the county as a whole are 

 unlimited. 



The bureau has made a continuous and a healthy growth in interest, 

 popularity, and usefulness to the farmers of this county. It seems to 

 have become an institution recognized by business men and farmers alike. 



S. A. Martin, 

 Fann Bureau Manager of Onondaga County. 



NIAGARA COUNTY 



On January i, 19 13, the farm bureau began its tenth month of work 

 in Niagara County. As the manager became better acquainted with 

 agricultural conditions in the county, certain needs became apparent, and 

 he has been working toward the solution of these more important problems 

 of general interest to the farmers of the county. Among them are included 

 cooperative marketing, seed selection, drainage, better orchard manage- 

 ment, use of lime, growing of alfalfa, and agricultural education for the 

 farm boy and girl. 



It has been the practice to respond to all personal calls for farm visits 

 whenever possible. At first, aU requests could be met, but for the past 

 few months, neither time nor funds would permit responding to all calls. 

 The method of travel is by train and livery, and the area covered, for the 

 time and money expended, is necessarily small. 



In order to come in contact with a larger number of farmers, the bureau 

 has adopted the plan of sending to farmers letters containing timely ad- 

 vice on important subjects, and also of publishing " Timely Hints to 

 Farmers" in the county papers. 



The following is a report of some of the work of the farm bureau during 

 the past twelve months : 



