EXTENSION DIVISION. 213 



tions of which 173 are reported. The treatment for control of smut has 

 now become so general in some counties that it is no longer made a specific 

 part of the oat project. 



Potatoes: The potato project with its various phases has become 

 one of the standard State projects and one upon which much work has 

 been done. 37 counties report a total of 609 potato demonstrations; fol- 

 lowing suggestions of the agents, seed potatoes were treated for disease on 

 2,304 farms and 57,472 acres were planted with treated seed. Green 

 sprouting demonstrations produced good results in practically all in- 

 stances. Both hill selection and tuber unit demonstrations were con- 

 ducted and the interest in selection of seed has greatly increased. The 

 variety test and standardization phases of the project have been referred 

 to. 



Alfalfa: Alfalfa has been an important Farm Bureau project from the 

 time county agent work was started in ]Michigan. The alfalfa cam- 

 paigns of 1913 conducted under the direction of the agents served to 

 attract state-wide attention to the value of this legume although doubtless- 

 many failures resulted because some of the conditions necessarj^ to suc- 

 cess were not carried out. Since the campaigns of 1913 there has been a 

 gradual increase in the interest in alfalfa growing, due largely to the 

 demonstration work conducted under the supervision of the agents. 155 

 demonstrations have been reported this year and doubtless this is con- 

 siderable below the actual number. It is in this way that information as 

 to the successful methods of growing alfalfa has been spread. The acre- 

 age has also been increased because of the aid given bj^ the agents in se- 

 curing good seed, lime, marl, and inoculation for the farmers. 



Other legumes: The work on red and alsike clover is always an im- 

 portant project, the reports showing that it included 16,475 farms, affect- 

 ing about 125,319 acres. The soy bean project continues to grow, 201 

 demonstrations being reported, including 939 acres. There were also 122 

 sweet clover demonstrations, or about 940 acres and 94 winter vetch 

 demonstrations including 615 acres. 



FRUITS. 



The various fruit projects have always occupied much of the attention 

 of the agents in the fruit sections of the State and again this j-ear have 

 had an important place in the Farm Bureau programs of those counties. 

 The fact that the fruit growers have had a good State organization for 

 many years and local organizations in several counties has made all Farm 

 Bureau fruit projects more efTective; and through their organizations 

 leadership had been developed and the fruit growers have taken a very 

 active interest in the Farm Bureau project, which accounts for the large 

 amount of Farm Bureau work that has been done in horticulture. The 

 work has been continued this year in much the same way as outlined in 

 previous reports. 



CONTEOL OF INSECTS AND OF PLANT DISEASES. 



The control of insects and plant diseases is always a major project in 

 every Farm Bureau program. The work done in the control of grain 

 smuts has been referred to, and every year receives much attention. 

 This year all of the agents have assisted in the campaign for the eradica- 

 tion of the high Bush Barberry and the purple-leafed Barberry. 



