348 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



county agents with potatoes. Eight thousand one hundred and sixty- 

 six farmers treated their seed potatoes to prevent disease, planting 

 30,226 acres. The agents conducted 418 demonstrations, involving 

 5,129 acres, to show the value of seed treatment. The average in- 

 creased yield secured per acre was 25.4 bushels, and the average net 

 profit per acre was $12.45. The average increased yield secured on 

 all demonstrations where records were kept was 39.7 bushels per acre. 

 A total of 34,314 acres was grown under the agents' direction or at 

 their suggestion. 



Orchards. — Much work was done by county agents in stimulating 

 pruning and spraying and otherwise caring for orchards. A total 

 of 5,640 orchards, involving 1,152,930 trees, were cared for under the 

 direction or on the advice of the agents. 



Work in Relation to Live Stock. 



Live-stock diseases. — To demonstrate the value of methods of 

 eradicating diseases special emphasis was placed by the county agents 

 on educational demonstrations involving relief methods in dealing 

 with live-stock diseases, especially hog cholera, blackleg, and tubercu- 

 losis. Kecords of the losses and the cost of the treatment were kept 

 in 325 demonstrations in hog cholera involving 10,527 hogs. The sav- 

 ing effected was $92,547.23, or $8.79 per hog vaccinated. Two hun- 

 dred and ten thousand two hundred and ninety-seven hogs were vacci- 

 nated by the county agents or by veterinarians and farmers at the 

 suggestion of the agents. One hundred and thirty-four hog-cholera 

 control clubs were organized by the agents. One hundred and 

 twenty-one thousand and seventy-one cattle were treated for black- 

 leg, and 17,735 were tested for tuberculosis by the agents or on their 

 suggestion. The agents organized special campaigns for better 

 sanitary conditions about farmsteads. 



Stock improvement.^MucIi work was done, as in previous years, 

 by the agents to improve the quality of the live stock and to stand- 

 ardize it by communities by the introduction of registered sires and 

 by the formation of breeders' associations. There were procured on 

 the suggestion or advice of agents 166 registered stallions, 2,024 reg- 

 istered bulls, 2,037 registered rams, and 2,037 registered boars. There 

 were also procured at the suggestion of agents 2,034 registered cows. 

 The agents saved many valuable sires from slaughter by having 

 them transferred from one community to another; 2,045 were so 

 transferred. One hundred and twelve live-stock breeding associa- 

 tions, with a total membership of 3,044, were organized by agents 

 during the year. 



Dairying. — The agents organized 215 cow-testing associations, and 

 82,190 cows were tested. As a result of this work 4,093 cows were 

 discarded as unprofitable. Besides this, 2,734 cows were tested by 

 individuals at the suggestion of the agents. Better feeding methods 

 were inaugurated on 5,882 farms by the agents. 



Work in Relation to Crops and Soils. 



The agents during the year secured the adoption of 3,225 crop- 

 rotation systems. Nine hundred and sixty-four drainage systems, 

 with a total area of 112,284 acres, and 194 irrigation systems, with 



